


Eudaimonia

by crystal_lychee



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions, Pocket Monsters: Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon | Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Versions
Genre: Absolute Psycho Lusamine, Adding tags as they come, Alpha!Guzma, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Angst, Eventual Romance, F/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Past Abuse, Violence, omega!reader, this is going to be such a disaster you already know, very slow and awkward burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2020-10-28 12:44:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 41,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20778782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crystal_lychee/pseuds/crystal_lychee
Summary: Chaos had always reigned supreme after the End, and Alola was no different. Guzma knew this, in fact, he knew too well about how disgustingly amoral life could be. But when he glances down at the way you were curled in his embrace, he can't help but think that life was perfect the way it was.Post-Apocalyptic Alola + A/B/O Dynamics, yes it's going to be a dumpster fire.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> eudaimonia - human flourishing

_ \- The End at the Beginning _

. . .

The world had fallen into disrepair, a ruin that no one had the bravery to attempt to fix. Alola perhaps had gotten off lightly in comparison to some of the other regions such as Kalos or Johto being that there were still plenty of resources. Besides the fact that civilization had devolved into something primitive and dangerous, the nature of life hadn’t changed.

What else was there other than survival like it always has been? Granted it was much more difficult now, but for someone like Guzma who was used to the idea of never having enough, it wasn’t much. He supposed this could very well be considered the end of the world, and what a quick end it was.

A mysterious portal, a Wormhole as it was now called had swallowed the entire world whole and, in the process, destroyed much of the buildings and taken too many lives. There wasn’t much left besides scattered populations of both people and Pokémon who defended themselves the best they could from the constant invasions by strange creatures. Known now as Ultrabeasts, they would frequently scavenge the broken world for resources that were already incredibly scarce.

This hell had been the state-of-affairs for nearly a decade.

Those left in Alola had organized themselves more or less into three main factions: the newly evolved Aether Foundation which seemed to hold untold depths of wealth, the League which included the bulk of the population, and Team Skull. There existed a delicate balance between the three groups; while the League held the most power as it included all living Trial Captains and League members, it was also responsible for anyone who asked them for aid. They worked tirelessly to try and rebuild Alola all while facing the imminent danger the Ultrabeasts possessed.

Team Skull on the other hand was a much smaller faction, consisting of mainly those who had fell out of favour with the League or Aether Foundation. Their meager numbers were mainly a cause to the devastation at the Shady House the day the End had occurred. A quarter of them had died that day, and a great number heavily injured which pushed Guzma and Plumeria to send them back to the now-League. Those left were either forsaken by those of the League or loyal to their small group of bedraggled survivors.

The most bizarre change was not any of this, it was the manifestation of status that branded each and every person on this broken world. There hadn’t been too much research done on the subject, being that all the living researchers were busy trying to figure out what could be done about their situation. If there was a chance to return to their universe, and if these Ultrabeasts could be tamed.

And thus, the appearance of designations flowed too seamlessly into everyday life, granted, the designations didn’t affect most. Only a handful of people in all of Alola weren’t Betas, the decidedly middle class of the three designations, which included around six known Alphas. These included Hau, the young champion; Kukui, the professor; Lusamine, the president of Aether; Nanu, the aged police officer and Kahuna, Hapu, the youngest Kahuna to date; and finally, Guzma, the leader of Team Skull.

Natural leaders, that was the only conclusion that people could really draw on when faced with these new changes. This was the only pattern that people could see as the Alpha or Beta symbol appeared one night at the same place for everyone, the skin at the base of the neck. Right above the collarbone.

Not much changed, all of those that manifested as Alphas simply had their ability to oppress heightened significantly as well as their natural charisma. Those manifesting as Betas simply found themselves slightly more influenced by Alpha behaviour but were relatively untouched in all other aspects. Of course, people didn’t realize that there would be a third designation, the rarest and yet most hated, that would throw the region into chaos once more.

. . .

Guzma’s face was forming an angry scowl that caused everyone except for Plumeria to take a few steps back, the air was shimmering with unreleased tension as the large hands holding the newspaper began crumpling it. The words written across the now only source of news was infuriating, making him let out a few cold chuckles, “So there can only be one winner, eh?” The Daily Alola was declaring Aether Foundation’s seemingly genuine wish to cooperate with the league. But he knew better, he and Lusamine had been dealing under the table for who knows how long, likely since the day Aether arrived.

But even with this seemingly solid relationship, he couldn’t help but to feel a little unnerved by the way Aether was presenting themselves as the saviour to mankind. He didn’t know if President really planned on double-crossing the League like she so claimed; it wouldn’t be unexpected if Team Skull were the ones double-crossed. After all, Team Skull was severely lacking in strength and resources in comparison to the League.

Reaching into his pocket and taking out his familiar switchblade, the weight and feel faintly comforting as he perused the rest of the article. The cold glint of light off of the blade caused many discomfort as he twirled the weapon easily between his fingers. It seemed like he was taunting them and reminding them of his superiority, although he didn’t even have to do much for most people to feel this way. It was difficult to understand the natural awe people held for Guzma, more often than not it was mixed with a healthy measure of trepidation. 

After the chaotic End, Guzma had become only colder and harsher as the difficulty of survival grew several folds. Things were quite bleak, even with the collaboration of Aether the group was nonetheless still surviving on scraps. Tossing the newspaper after realizing that there was little else that was of interest to him, he looks down from his throne at the twenty members who were waiting for their tasks for the day.

“We’re gettin’ low on cash, so you lil’ lazy asses better be snatching all the Pokémon you can get your hands on,” Guzma’s eyes were cold as he flicked his gaze towards a member who was scuffing his shoe against the carpet. “You there, yeah, kid with the grey hoodie. You got somethin’ you wanna say?”

The deer in headlights expression on the poor grunt’s face brought a wave of satisfaction to the white-haired leader, “C’mon, spit it out. You don’t wanna do the snatchin’ then scram, we got no place for dead-weights here.” His lips were pulled into a snarl as he surveyed the faintly trembling kid, “Ya got it?”

“Y—Yes sir!” The shaky response earned a pass from the inexplicably annoyed Alpha, who waved his hand to allow the grunts to disperse. His jaw was locked tight as he glanced at Plumeria who stood at his side, with absolutely no change in expression in those topaz coloured eyes.

“A little harsh, ain’t ya?” Her voice hid the trepidation she had felt earlier at the aggression that simmered in Guzma’s every movement. Even though life had been tough lately, it was nowhere near the situation they had found themselves in when they had initially started Tea Skull.

“Tch,” the scoff was cold and held an imposing edge that had been enhanced since designations appeared, “A little toughin’ them up will only be good for ‘em. They gotta realize that we ain’t got no choice in a world like this.” Reaching his hands into his hair, he pulls at it in a familiar gesture of frustration as he voices his concerns about Aether Foundation, disgust in every word.

“You’re right, Boss,” Plumeria’s voice was low and cold, her own annoyance present as she continued, “They always looked at us like we weren’t as good, that holier-than-thou attitude makes me sick. I wouldn’t be surprised if they did decide—”

She wasn’t able to finish the thought before Guzma had slammed a fist angrily onto the wooden side table, the force reducing it into nothing more than a few splinters. “_Fuck!_” He needed to learn how to curb this habit, he’s been going through tables at an alarming rate. Not that it seemed like such a bad thing initially, but apparently being an Alpha came with an impressive and rather inhuman strength. However, as the furniture around the Shady House depleted at a rapid rate, it was just becoming something else that he had to worry about.

Leaping up to his feet, he began pacing furiously across the old and mildly mouldy purple carpet, “They better not be thinking of double crossin’,” but beyond the anger at a possible betrayal, there was a deep-seated fear that caused all of this nervous energy to explode about. Team Skull would be in pretty dire straits if Aether decided to rescind from the agreement they had, as much as Guzma didn’t want to admit it, they were very dependent on those ‘angelic’ bastards. He had to figure something out, they didn’t hold enough chips against Lusamine; outing the Aether Foundation would do them minimal good even if the League somehow believed them. No, he needed something to ensure that Aether would behave.

Plumeria watched with no small amount of trepidation at this behaviour, her long-time friend seemed to be slipping into someone that she couldn’t recognize. She didn’t want to admit it, but there were even times that she felt the almost unbearable urge to submit when Guzma’s Alpha oppression was even used slightly. Not that she ever would if she could do anything about it, besides that first time…

Ten years ago, a decade. It seemed to be such a long time ago but Plumeria could remember that day like a bad nightmare, she doubted that there could be a single person who could possibly be innocent from that tragedy. She and Guzma were barely eighteen when the Wormhole opened and swallowed the world, the powerful suction and gravity too many times stronger than earth caused both people and buildings to be pulled or pressed into smithereens. Depending on your luck and where you happened to be at the time, you would have been able to survive but those with weaker bodies and constitutions found themselves unable to adapt.

Even if the initial change passed by seemingly harmlessly for the survivors, the second wave of changes that swept through the globe was difficult for those with more sickly and delicate bodies. While most survivors dealt with the change near flawlessly, those who emerged as Alphas had to adapt to the sudden change in their own physical and mental abilities. While it seemed that being an Alpha should have been something to be proud of, in these times they were always being pushed to the front lines of the constantly invading Ultrabeasts.

The few scientists that had been researching about these new designations had theorized that there should be a third designation, Omega, but going off the assumption that Alphas were strong, Betas were normal, then the last designation would be weak. However, the weak would’ve likely mostly perished in the weeks after the End.

She could still remember the day Guzma’s Alpha mark had manifested, the wave of absolute dominance had permeated the entire of Po Town and then some. Every single person in the vicinity submitted without a second thought, fear and awe the only emotions in Team Skull’s hearts. It was no use to try to fight it, danger lurked in the air that promised destruction if there was even an inkling of rebellion in the area he claimed.

. . .

Your eyes blinked open slowly and lethargically, feeling as if your eyelids were glued shut. Even without needing to think about it, the discomfort of your body made itself known to yourself as soon as you were conscious. The inside of your mouth was drier than the Haina desert and you could feel the way your clothes were stiff with dried sweat, explaining the dehydrated state you were in.

Uncurling yourself from your fetal position, you noted the way your limbs felt strained and exhausted even though stiffness permeated every single muscle in your body. Your hair was in a disgusting state, completely matted from sweat and tangled into what is likely a horrific bird’s nest. Your eyebrows were furrowed into a frown as you tried to stand and found you had little to no strength in your legs. It was either that or your body was still trying to burn through the last of the sedative.

Able to drag yourself from the centre of the tiny room with, you curl yourself into a ball leaning against the wall while sitting with your head between your legs. You remember a little now, it must have been your _heat_, the damned and disgusting thing. You knew Alpha Lusamine hated your heats, so why did your body betray her? It was so unfair, you knew she would be upset with you, fear blossoming in your still slowly waking mind.

Your body trembled as you recalled the _displeasure_ on Alpha Lusamine’s face when she had noticed your heat, that expression of disgust and derision made you hate your worthless Omega body even more. You promised that you would be a good girl, you would let the scientists take all the samples they needed without making a sound. So why did Alpha Lusamine still hate you so much?

It was difficult to remember when exactly your life began here at Aether, in fact, it was near impossible to remember anything besides Aether and Alpha Lusamine. You remember a faint inkling of sadness before this place and fear the entire duration of your stay in this place. As much as you wanted to please her, you feared her in equal measure, if not more. This had been instilled in you for so long that it had become second nature, you simply knew that you could only ever behave in complete deference. There would be hell to pay if not.

A faint throbbing began in your skull, making you wince and wonder how badly it must have been…it didn’t feel nearly this bad last time. You were startled out of your thoughts at the soft click of the locked door, a familiar slim and attractive male stepped in.

“I told mother that the sedative was too strong,” the way those jade-green eyes flashed with untold light went unnoticed by you, still trying to mitigate the swiftly worsening pounding of your head. “That stuff was powerful enough to stop a rampaging Tyrannitar in its tracks, but you were burning through the last sedative so quickly she didn’t care.”

Your words were slow and raspy, “It was worse this time.” Your face lifted from your legs to stare woundedly into Gladion’s face, “What did I do wrong? I swear I didn’t mean to, is Alpha Lusamine—”

A gentle hand that fell onto your head, even though you knew from your blotchy memory that Gladion had been here all this time, you can’t help but to reflexively twitch. He had been the only one who spoke to you besides those terrifying scientists and Alpha Lusamine, and unlike them, he had shown you the most kindness. Technically, you knew that he had grown up with you, but you had seen him so infrequently that it felt difficult to measure his age, let alone yours.

“I’m going to take you away from here,” his voice was steady, but if you knew him well enough, you could hear a faint tremor of emotion in the words. “You don’t deserve this.”

You pull yourself away from him immediately, eyes wide with panic and fear, “_No._ No, you can’t. Alpha Lusamine will be so mad, she won’t forgive me…she’ll hurt me.” The emotions swirling within was wiping away whatever leftover sleepiness the drugs caused, panic gripped you as you tried to imagine leaving this place.

“No, I promise she won’t,” but little did he know that you were excellent at differentiating lies from truth, “Don’t you want to see what it’s like outside?” His voice took on a sweet coaxing note that did little to sway you.

You shook your head vigorously even if it made your headache even worse, “No, not unless she says it’s okay. You’re lying. You want me to disobey,” your eyes seemed too large on your face as they glimmered with a luster that made Gladion’s chest heavy, “You want me to displease the Alpha.”

“I’ll talk to her, I promise I won’t let her hurt you anymore,” the blonde-haired male’s jaw was clenched as he watched your figure fold in on itself again, “You…I can’t let you suffer here anymore, I promise I’ll take you somewhere safe. One day mother—Lusamine is going to hurt you more than she’s already done, I can’t let that happen.”

You weren’t listening at this point, there was no way you were going to leave if it meant going against the wishes of the irrefutable leader of all of Aether. No matter how much you feared her and wished to despise her like those horrendous scientists, it seemed impossible to not want to please her. You were so lost in your thoughts that you didn’t notice the quiet movements of the male beside you until you felt a sharp pinch in your neck.

The last thing you remember is finally being able to figure out the emotion that Gladion had been trying to hide this entire time.

Guilt. 


	2. Enter Po Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Po Town is dangerous, but you weren't sure in what way.

. . . 

“Yo Boss, there’s some punk who says he’s from Aether lookin’ for ya,” the messenger’s voice held the same confusion that Guzma was feeling at this time. He had Plumeria had discussed at length their situation and whether anything could be done regarding Aether to ensure the longevity of their partnership. He wouldn’t be against petty theft if it guaranteed Team Skull’s survival, desperate times held back for no one.

“Send him in,” Guzma arranged his features something unreadable, only for it to betray shock as he sees the one and only son of the President of Aether. What was more baffling was the fact that he seemed to carrying somebody wrapped tightly in all manners of clothing, they were so covered up that he had trouble telling the faintest thing about them.

“Lusamine’s kid? What’re ya doin’ here in this dump?” A smile that held only ill intentions appeared on his lips as he appraised the seemingly calm and collected young male. “Be careful, wouldn’t want ya to get your shoes dirty and have ya momma yell at me.”

Gladion didn’t rise to the goading and only gently set you to the ground before turning and staring straight into those dangerous gray eyes, “I want to join Team Skull.” Before he could continue, the leader of said team had burst into not-so-kind laughter that echoed in the small room.

When he’s finally quieted, Guzma raises a skeptical eyebrow at the platinum-blonde with a sardonic question, “And why would I do that? If ya ran from your mother, I have no doubts she’ll be wanting ya back. I don’t doubt I’d get a hefty sum for that.”

“I have something-someone you need,” the calm in his voice was still present, almost impressing Guzma had he been completely paying attention. Now that a few moments had passed, he can detect a strange scent in the air that…was making his mouth water, even though it was barely there. It was goddamn _delectable_. “You don’t know if Aether will betray you, but if you have her, I can guarantee Aether won’t touch you.”

Crouching down and gently removing the heavy layers of cloth and mismatched Aether clothing to reveal a barely visible face was enough to send a shock to Guzma’s spine. He was so used to slouching, it was unbelievable that he had straightened up and in such an unconscious way. It was too bad that all his attention was being directed to the delicate figure that was currently being revealed.

Mine, mine, mine, _mine._ The thought and intensity of the voice that roared within him were so disorientating that he had woken up from the trance-like way he was walking towards where you were being held by Gladion. Displeasure erupted within him because that stupid punk shouldn’t be holding you so roughly, you deserved only the gentlest of caresses. He would’ve likely just grabbed you out of the younger male’s hold if he wasn’t rooted in his position when he saw your face.

Even though you were still slumbering, it did little to prevent him from noticing the delicate lines of your face that gave you those finely wrought features. The slope of your nose and the shape of your lips that were parted slightly, soft breaths that lulled whatever anger he might’ve been feeling into a barely-there ebb. He couldn’t pull his gaze away from you, your entire being felt magnetizing and he couldn’t really think of anything he would rather look at for the rest of his life.

This thought jolts him out of the _delirium _he had been in, shocking himself with the massive mental jumps that his brain had been taking. Something was wrong, or from the way that the particularly _alpha_ part of him was pacing eagerly, very right. Now that you weren’t being smothered by clothing, that scent was permeating the entire room and making his blood rush through his body. A part of him wanted nothing more than to cage that petite figure within his arms breathe in that divine scent, this part was winning by a long shot.

As if he wasn’t in control of his own body, he had already reached where you rested in Gladion’s arms and reached over to take you. There is an expression of indecision on the green-eyed _boy_’s face that caused a displeased growl to emerge from deep in Guzma’s throat, his gray eyes betrayed the mounting anger at his hesitance.

Realizing that dallying would likely only result in his own danger, he places your too-light figure into those waiting arms. As soon as Guzma had you in his arms, he presses you tightly against his chest, holding you gently yet firmly as he tried to resist rubbing his face against your own. But that heavenly scent was making it hard to remember why exactly this was weird and the world was beginning to fade away save for the tiny figure in his arms.

There was something positively delicious that swirled about in your nose, coaxing and calling you away from sleep so you could figure out what exactly that smell was. It reminded you of Lusamine’s but where hers was tinted slightly with bitterness, this was warm, earthy, and you wanted to be surrounded by it forever.

_Alpha_. Your body immediately provided the answer to the question of whose scent you were picking up, but almost simultaneously you were overwhelmed with panic. Whoever you were with right now wasn’t Alpha Lusamine, oh no. _Oh no._

Your eyes shot open. But what met you were the most beautiful pair of gray eyes, stormy and swirling with mesmerizing power, making your panic still for a brief moment. Your body was rejecting it in the next second, his touch like a thousand painful pinpricks as your mind screamed. This was wrong, so so _so_ very wrong, there was a part of your mind that berated you and told you that this would displease Alpha Lusamine very much

Yet even against all this turmoil, there was a part of your soul that remained idyllic, breathtakingly silent and calm as it drank in those beautiful eyes. A part of you that recognized a soul just as chaotic and mangled as your own…

But this part was largely overwhelmed by the rest, and you fought out of his grip to tumble onto the ground and tried to get away from the person causing you so much discomfort. There was panic laced in your every movement as your eyes scanned the largely bare room, looking for somewhere to hide, somewhere you would be safe. Latching onto the small crevice between a shelf and the bed, you dive into the small space before curling yourself into the smallest ball you could. Your head was tucked into your legs as you tried to get the wild pounding of your heart to slow. The loud heartbeat echoed in your ears, making you feel dizzy and lightheaded, while your breathing slowly quieted.

You squeezed your eyes shut, wishing that you weren’t here and that this was just a dream of some hallucination in your sedated, drunken mind. You didn’t want to consider the possibility that this was a reality, you were going to be in so much trouble and Alpha Lusamine would never be pleased with anything you did ever again. You knew that if you ever returned, she would put you in the cold, _dark_, quiet place that terrified you to no end. There was nothing more that you wished but to return home, although your stomach twisted when you thought of Aether that way.

A subdued whisper that always reminded you that home would never be so cold, so lonely, so silent. But it didn’t change the oncoming panic that was slowly mounting within your chest as you realized that this wasn’t a dream. Your delicate skin was raw and red from your pinching and the splintered wood beside you felt so real, your breaths quickened before they became gasping desperate gulps of air.

The world was beginning to swirl and blur before a feminine but undeniably strong voice cut through the incessant buzz of your mind, “Sweetie, you gotta breathe slower. Can you hear me?” Although the tone was a little rough, you could _feel_ the worry in their voice something nearly completely foreign to you. You follow the suggestion and try your best to slow your breathing down, as you do, there is a warm hand resting on your head, gently smoothing over the locks. The buzz is quieting, and your breaths were becoming more regular as you calmed down.

Plumeria’s luminescent eyes, unbeknownst to you, had been scanning your figure the entire time, concern only deepening the closer she studied. Your skin had an unnatural and not to mention unhealthy hue to it, it’s pigment seemingly completely washed out as was the colour of any of your extremities. The clothing you had on did little to conceal the worrying scars that decorated the back of your neck and what she could see on your arms, and you exuded so much fear that it physically hurt. You seemed woefully weak as if you had been expended beyond your limits and the way your body tremored only served to add to your air of vulnerability.

You feel a gentle hand patting your head, gently smoothing your mildly gross hair down as if they had paid no mind to the grime present. Unconsciously, you lean into this neutral touch starved for comfort and something to remind you of safety. Eventually, the slow ministrations have successfully lulled you into an exhausted slumber, without even thinking about it, Plumeria gently lifts you into her arms.

…Only to be confronted by an unusually agitated Guzma whose arms were outstretched to take you, causing Plumeria’s eyebrows to furrow at this behaviour. Her golden eyes swiveled to pierce right into Gladion’s unassuming expression, something was afoot, and she didn’t want to be surprised when she found out. Sending Guzma a pointed look and ignoring the ire that sprung up in response, she takes the sleeping burden into the adjacent room.

She could tell that he wanted to follow, but at this moment Gladion cuts in with an inquiry, “So what about it? Are you taking the trade?” Successfully distracting the white-haired Alpha and giving Plumeria time to enter her own room before setting you down into her bed. She couldn’t help but linger a little longer, puzzled by your presence and the magnetizing effect you seemed to have.

The graceful lines of your face and body, unable to be hidden by what seemed like years of maltreatment, a stark contrast to the sharpness of her own features. But most of all, she remembered what those eyes looked like; they reminded her of the surface of a deep lake, clear but with unfathomable depth. The waves of panic that overwhelmed what should’ve been tranquility, mesmerizing in its swirling violence and chaos. None of this could’ve been extrapolated from the silent figure now tucked neatly into the bed, what could be seen was nothing more than a wan face too tired to be beautiful.

. . .

Guzma’s head was slowly beginning to develop a headache to rival any other headache he’s ever had as if there was a corner of his mind screaming for independence from the rest of his brain. This ridiculous part that told him that he should be waiting by your side because clearly you _needed_ him. Even if you did leave behind a scent that soothed these nerves, there was an edge to the lovely blend of magnolias and peaches, something bitter and cold that shouldn’t be there.

He turned to the jade-eyed teen in front of him, features schooling into something blank to hide his thoughts as he studied Gladion for a long moment. He was too young to look so cold but being the only child of a woman like Lusamine would do that to anyone; the boy resembled his mother. But unlike the cold and clinical cordiality, there was an element of vulnerability to his aura as a cause to his youth. In some ways, he was reminded of himself, but unlike him, this blonde boy simmered quietly with anger, while his youth was full of fiery explosions of the same emotion.

“Who is she?” The question betrayed nothing, unlike the way he was falling-head-over-heels to hold you earlier, there was a lack of _anything_ to his tone. “An’ _what_ is she?” While Guzma wouldn’t be winning any prizes with his intellect, he knew himself enough that his reactions thus far have been beyond strange. This unrelenting urge to protect, though it has quieted slightly, was swimming beneath the surface and your face was there every single time he blinked.

Gladion’s eyes darted to the ground, suddenly losing the confidence that he had wielded earlier, “She’s Lusamine’s…ward, an Omega.” The words taste like ash in his mouth, they felt like a lie, but it was nothing more than a slight omission. “That’s her designation if that’s what you’re asking.”

Guzma’s eyebrows furrowed, “An Omega. Haven’t heard much about ‘em, thought they were a theory.” But his mind is slowly piecing things together, “Is she actually?” He had been so caught up by everything that he hadn’t even noticed what mark was branded at the base of her throat.

“As far as Aether knows, she’s the only one,” Gladion replied, voice level, “We don’t know too much about her, but her behaviour is docile and quiet.” He doesn’t want to think about how much of your ‘natural’ behaviour was trained into you throughout the years, nor does he want to explain what little he knew about your biology.

Guzma hides his suspicions about the lack of information the kid was providing, there were too many blank areas that needed to be filled in. Nothing he said explained his bizarre reactions, making him annoyed, “And why would Lusamine be concerned about her? It would make more sense to keep…_you_ instead.” A dangerous glint entered his eyes as he smirked at the teen that took a hesitant step back.

He shook his head furiously, “She’s not just the ward of Lusamine, but Aether. She’s really important to the research they do, without her everything would stagnate and proceed no further. Besides, if Lusamine finds out immediately that you have her…she will destroy Po Town to get her back.”

An eyebrow raised over a pair of dangerous eyes, “So what you’re sayin’ is that ya brought a ticking time-bomb into Po Town. Ya better have a good explanation…” the threat hung heavily in the air as Gladion cowed under the exerted pressure.

“No, she’ll only do that if no one knows who she is, as soon as the people from The League know about her, Lusamine’s hands are tied, she can’t do anything by force or Aether is ruined in Alola.” A steely expression appeared on his youthful face, “You need to get into _her_ good graces, if anyone from the League sees that her allegiance is with you, Lusamine will never be able to touch you.”

“So ya sayin’ that the lil’ Omega is that important to Prez? How come I never heard about her?” The picture is becoming a little clearer, but there was the underlying suspicion that this was a trap, a ploy to divert his attention to bring Team Skull down. It wouldn’t be the first time someone had tried to hurt his family.

“She is. For every day she is missing, Lusamine will lose another day to research. You of all people know how much she cares about her research,” Gladion’s resistance to the Alpha oppression was impressive, to say the least, but with how much time he had to spend around his mother…it wasn’t surprising.

Placing a hand on his chin as he tilts his head back in thought, Guzma exudes an easy yet volatile energy that keeps unsettling the once confident blonde teen. The kid was telling the truth, that much he could ascertain, and if what he was saying was true, then there was no way you would leave his grasp. He tried not to think about the part of him that dug his heels in when it came to the idea of returning you to some _other_ Alpha’s territory. 

“Ya wanted to join Team Skull,” there was a measure of agreement to Guzma’s tone, one that lifted the heaviness that swam about the room, “But ya also said ya would need to return to Aether, how’s gonna that work?”

“I can only stay in Aether for a few weeks at the most before Lusamine gets suspicious,” he tries not to think of the many examples that this rule had, “I can buy you some time, but I want a place here when I can’t stay in Aether any longer.”

“And why not the League? Why didn’t ya go there, those do-gooders woulda taken ya in in a heartbeat, beggin’ for ya to join,” this is perhaps the biggest issue that lay within his doubts, the League would’ve been a safer place for you and the kid. So why come here to bargain?

“Because no one distrusts Lusamine like you do, those idiots would just hand us back over to Aether packaged with a bow,” there is a faint tone of disgust as he recalls that one particularly distasteful Alpha, Hau and how he bowed to everyone’s whim.

Leaning back against his throne, Guzma sorts through the information one last time. There were still massive missing chunks of information, but the gist was clear, the risk low compared to the reward. Having a prized researcher in his hands should only be a benefit, once you had submitted to Team Skull, to him, the gang wouldn’t need to grovel to Aether for the barest of compensation.

“You’ve got yaself a deal,” there was a dangerous curve to his lips as the words sounded.

. . .

You swear you’ve woken up way too many times in one day than was necessary, but unlike the previous times where the awakening had been quite rude or uncomfortable, this was a gradual awakening. There was a softness surrounding you that told you that you were in a bed, not your own bed by any means, the sheets seemed worn but undeniably comfortable against your skin. There was surprisingly no scent at all, which meant you were not in the bed of that Alpha; the memory caused you to shiver.

It wasn’t necessarily with fear, but you couldn’t deny the trepidation that swam in your stomach as the memory resurfaced from your mind. He was terrifying, but by God, if he wasn’t the most beautiful person you’d ever seen. The thought feels like a betrayal to _your_ Alpha.

Lusamine…unlike the panic that had swept through you, there was only a strong pang of discomfort and fear when your thoughts turned to her. You knew that this was wrong, your Alpha would be terribly displeased with you, especially if she knew you were in the presence of another Alpha.

She told you many times that there was no one out there for you, that you only had her. Anyone else was disposable, could disappear at any time, there was no point in trusting other people. There would only ever be her, Aether was Alpha’s domain and so it was natural to submit to her. You couldn’t recall if you disobeyed or not, the memories seemed shrouded by an opaque fog, but you knew now that there would never be any disobedience to Lusamine. Not unless you wanted to live in relative safety.

You closed your eyes for a long moment in an effort to calm the chaotic flow of thoughts running rampant in your mind. You were in a strange place with no one except for Gladion that you knew, you felt the sting of betrayal when you remembered his actions. You never thought that he would hurt you like this, he of all people knew how much it would hurt you to be away from Aether. No matter how much the scientists poked and prodded, the barbed way Lusamine treated you, nothing could be worse from being away from the recognized Alpha.

The opening of the door startled you from your thoughts and made you sit up in a too-fast motion, causing you to feel light-headed and dizzy. A swift step of confident footsteps was followed by a confident hand that supported you, “Woah there, don’t you go faintin’ on me.” A dry chuckle sounded close by, “You’re really made of glass, ain’t ya?”

You turn to see those golden eyes that shone with an emotion that you saw precious little of, worry and concern. You feel your body relaxing as she sits down on a ratty chair nearby, not saying anything as you take your time to accustom yourself with this woman that you supposed should have been scared of. Her hair was done up into pigtails, dyed a bright pink and yellow that you believed to be pretty much fluorescent while she was dressed in an outfit of black. Your eyes were drawn to the ink on her abdomen, the insignia dipping below the waistband of her cargo pants.

But she made you feel safe, even if those kind eyes were outlined with dramatic and almost angry lines of black. You tilt your head, lips parting as you ask, “Who are you?” If she was startled by the raspy and thoroughly rough sound of your throat, she didn’t show it. The only thing she did was point at the sweating glass of water beside you. You take it and gulp it down, the lukewarm liquid soothing the dryness of your mouth and throat, knowing you must actually be severely dehydrated.

“Plumeria,” she smiled, the faintest quirk of her lips as she watched you guzzle down the large glass, “But everyone ‘round here just calls me Big Sis, and you’re included. Now we just need to figure out what we’ll be callin’ you.”

Your lips downturn into a puzzled frown as you struggle to answer, it had been a very long time since you were last referred to by your name. For your life in Aether, you were always just called your designation and usually not even to your face.

While you were always ordered around, you could hear them talk about you; “Get the Omega out, we need more samples.” “The Omega is showing signs of fatigue.” The memories chill you, if there was one fortunate thing about all this, it was being away from those _awful_ scientists. 

Seeing she wasn’t going to get a response, Plumeria chuckles, “You seemed to react to Sweetie earlier, so I’ll just be callin’ you that ‘till you tell me what ya name is? That alright?” There was something about you that made her ‘mothering’ instincts flare-up, perhaps it was your body language that forever suggested at vulnerability? Or the way your face was devoid of any emotion other than fear, tugging at her heartstrings as she wonders why this would be. Upon seeing the tiny smile and nod of acceptance, Plumeria stands and waits for you to slowly get out of bed.

Seeing the rumpled and unattractive ‘shift’ that you were wearing, a slight frown appeared on her lips, “Wait a sec, lemme see if I’ve got any clothin’ for ya to wear. That thing’s gotta go.” Rifling through her closet, Plumeria pulls out a pair of sweats and some random t-shirt from who knows how long ago before handing them to you. “Put these on, I’ll be waitin’ for ya outside.”

You gently squeezed the worn fabric in your hands, feeling the soft give of cotton that promised warmth and comfort. Something that had eluded you for so long. Slowly undressing, you realize the stiffness of all of your joints and muscles, the discomfort expected after everything that has happened in the last few days. It would take a few hours for your body to return to normal, you thought as you slowly pulled the filthy dressing gown off to pull the overlarge t-shirt on. The plain tee was promptly tucked into your pair of sweatpants, the clothing fitting slightly loose on you.

Rubbing your hands on your face, you take a slow to inhale and exhale, something that had helped you when your hands trembled, and your heart thundered. You needed more time, but most of all, you needed more information. The panic that had initially assaulted you had melded into suspicion and a healthy dose of fear. A clear action appeared, you had to go back to Aether.

. . .

Smiling hesitantly at Plumeria, who was to her word waiting outside the door, you try to muster up the courage to ask her. You didn’t want to, whenever you had asked any questions the response could be anywhere to feigned ignorance to a dose of sedatives. It was evident that you were in a place far from home, judging from the grungy and mildly filthy surroundings. A smell of something damp hanging about in the air in comparison to the antiseptic that you were accustomed to.

“Where am I?” The question doesn’t seem to borrow your guide as she shrugs offhandedly, not even bothering to turn around to answer. You look down at the raggedy carpet that was worn into the ground as her voice sounds, “You’re in Po Town, as for any other questions, you leave ‘em for the Boss.”

Your heart drops slightly in your chest, footsteps slowing as you ask, “…Boss?” There was something that told you that this was the Alpha, the only other Alpha besides Lusamine that you’ve met. You’re not sure what to make of this information, knowing now that you hadn’t imagined those dark eyes that promised danger.

“Yeah, he’s called Boss ‘round these parts,” Plumeria’s face scrunches up slightly as she mutters, “Not sure if that’s what you’ll be callin’ him, seeing you ain’t a part of Team Skull an’ all.” But this only leaves you with more questions which you hold inside, it seems as if things would be able to clear themselves up. And even if they didn’t Gladion would explain everything, and you had no doubts he was doing to receive the brunt of your ire; he did, after all, kidnap you. Even if the kidnapping was seemingly innocuous enough, there was no indication he was going to pawn you off or at least the owner of this dilapidated place wouldn’t be able to afford it.

You walk back to a large room with double doors, the set opened slowly after Plumeria pushes them and creaking loudly in need of some oiling. You cautiously follow into the spacious room, the setting seeming vaguely familiar and making the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Or perhaps that was due to the gaze that you could feel tracking your every movement as soon as you entered, the piercing attention was best to be left alone if you wanted to get out of here. Slowly lifting your gaze and seeing a familiar white-blonde male, you dart quickly to his side not realizing that this was bringing you closer to the source of your discomfort.

It was second nature to want to hide behind your ‘friend’, the unease of being somewhere new and filled with likely with nearby peril was making your adrenaline spike. Latching onto the sole point of stability and familiarity, you slowly begin to calm down as one of your hands clutch at one of Gladion’s sleeves. You don’t notice the way the steel-eyed male’s gaze frosted over, too preoccupied with trying to remain unbothered by his presence.

“Hey,” the younger male turned to you, a worried glint in his eyes as he leans to mutter a quiet apology into your ear. “I’m so sorry, but this is the only way.” You don’t even have time to ask him what was going on before he retracts his arm from your hold.

Turning back to Guzma, he pushes you in his direction before saying loudly, “She’ll stay here with you, I trust I have your word that no harm befalls her. Know that our agreement is void if even a single hair on her head is touched, I will update you periodically on Lusamine’s progress.”

Your heart sank into your stomach as his words ended, _no no no no_ he wasn’t abandoning you in this strange place, you would never be able to return to Aether from this place. Not only were you surrounded by strangers, but there was an Alpha that unnerved you more than anyone else you’d met.

“Gladion,” you call out, panic lacing the name as you grab his arm, “Why are you leaving? Why did you take me here?” You can tell there was hesitance on his face, his eyes darting towards the unspoken authority in the room as if asking for permission to answer your questions.

Seeing the unrelenting expression on the gang leader’s cold features, Gladion was about to turn his back on you once more when you speak again. This time at the Alpha you had been hoping not to look at, your face turned towards him as you pleaded. “Please, I just want some answers.” His eyebrows furrow as he contemplates for a never-ending moment before readying himself for a direct refusal, you weren’t sure how you could tell but there was no denying it.

Your own eyes glinted with your unspoken pleas as you watch him wave a hand accompanied by a sound of disgust, “You have five minutes in this room, the brat can leave when the time’s up. You’ll be stayin’ here.” Sauntering off the throne and followed closely by Plumeria, he disappears out of his own room to leave you with Gladion, who was busy rubbing his face. You don’t notice the way there were dots of cold sweat on his brow, too busy prodding him for some explanation.

“Listen,” his voice was low and terribly cold as his eyes met yours, “Lusamine wants nothing to do with you, she wants you gone and you know too much for her to set you free. You were nothing more than a pawn, you don’t have any use to her after so many years.” You could feel the world around you fading away accompanied by a faint buzzing in your ears, not wanting to continue listening to those cruel, cruel words.

“No,” the sound that came from your lips was barely audible but laced nonetheless with so much fear and pain, “That can’t be true, I’ve been a good girl, haven’t I? Alpha wouldn’t…she needs me, I _know _she does!” 

Clasping your trembling hand into his, Gladion allows some of his true emotions to show through his face, “You know what she feels for you, this last incident was the worst it’s ever been and she’s told me that you were becoming too much of a liability. She sent me to get rid of you, but I couldn’t.”

You didn’t want to remember because it hurt too much, but the harsh words and treatment Lusamine always treated you with were only rarely broken up by a hint of kindness. If you really thought about it, which you did not, you weren’t particularly surprised by something like this happening. Disdain had been the most frequent expression on your Alpha’s face, and it seemed you were really useless. Unbeknownst to you, your eyes had begun to well up with tears.

The sight was difficult to watch, anyone witnessing would be able to see the moment your heart had broken and smashed into pieces predestined by the splintering cracks already there. You always knew that this day would come, all those years striving for something more than cordiality and disgust from the person you wanted to please.

The moisture in your eyes began trickling down your cheeks as you pull your lips into a grimace-like smile, “I’m a bad-luck charm, aren’t I? Bringing misery wherever I go. If so, it is good that I keep my distance from Alpha, I’ll best help by staying away.” Your head was hanging, you're being exuding so much fragility that Gladion was thinking about just bringing you back.

Alas, before he could entertain the thought any more the door creaked open again, the slow drawl interrupted anything he would’ve said. “Five minutes are up pretty boy, it’s time for you to hightail your ass outta here.” Your eyes flicked towards the door even though you intended not to acknowledge his appearance, but when your gaze returned to the hardened expression on Gladion’s face you lost hope. It was over, life as you knew it had come to an end and there was nothing else left.

You watched blankly as the only familiar thing in this new world disappeared through the doors and out of your life for what was going to feel like an eternity. You don’t realize that you’re alone with _him_ until it’s too late, Plumeria hadn’t entered the room with this new and dangerous Alpha. You’re still gazing emptily at the door when a broad chest comes into view, making your take an unconscious step back, unease flooding your system. You don’t dare to look at him, knowing that there would be little more than disdain in those steely eyes.

“Stop,” your voice is trembling as you try to put as much distance between you and him as possible, “Stay away.” You don’t realize that you’ve been backing away and into a table this entire time until the feel of the wood bumps into your lower back. _What did he want_?

“Quit starin’ at the ground,” the order falls naturally from his lips, and you almost move immediately to follow instructions until the thought of actually seeing him made you freeze. You wouldn’t look at him, not when you were clear your face showed every measure of your fear and weakness. You just want him to leave, you needed to be alone. You needed something that wasn’t this.

When it becomes clear you were not going to be following his demands a large, rough hand grabs you by the chin to tilt your face forcefully up. The action was so quick that your heart jumps in your chest causing you to take a loud inhale from your nose. His voice sounds again, but this time it seems from far away as you feel distracted by those eyes.

A maelstrom that threatened chaos, pain, and destruction.

You cringed backward as he spoke, “I thought ya were supposed ta be good at followin’ orders.” The feeling of the table digging into your back sharpened as you tried to escape futilely, eyes able to flick safely downwards and away from his. You can’t speak, you could barely breathe with him so close and as if poised to strike at any moment.

Your entire body was screaming that this Alpha was nothing more than danger, those eyes promised nothing less and from the way the grip on your chin tightened to a point of pain. The jolt made your face scrunch slightly, but the slight change in expression was caught by a perceptive Guzma and he lets go.

His presence seems to evaporate from your vicinity, the next moment he was reclined into his throne, “You keep out of my way, ya hear? I don’t wan’ anythin’ to do with you.” The words shouldn’t cut into your chest, you did not know this man and these words should not affect you in the slightest.

But they do, they sting as you turn tail and dart out of this oppressive room in hopes of finding Plumeria. If there was a safe haven in this foreign place, it would be this Big Sis that had treated her with more warmth than anyone you could remember giving.

In your rush to leave, you don’t notice the glint that flashed in gray eyes. A hint of interest masked with the copious loathing and suspicion, emotions that undercut the cold smile on his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHAHAHA guess who took like a whole month to write something adequately lengthed, school be like that. still tentative lmao


	3. Shady House Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start shifting.

In your hurry to get away from the dangers promised by remaining in proximity from that white-haired Alpha, you realize you still didn’t know his name. Pushing the thought to the back of your mind, you turn and run right into Plumeria who had been waiting for your appearance. Warm hands steady you as a chuckle escapes from the taller woman, “Hold your horses, don’t go hurting yourself to get to me.”

Your face flushes slightly, “Sorry about that, I was—” your voice cuts off as you recall what had occurred in that room, a distraught sound taking the place of any sort of explanation. You weren’t even sure if badmouthing the Alpha in front of his subordinates was really the best idea, so perhaps it was for the best. Thankfully, Plumeria didn’t seem particularly surprised by your reaction, a wry smile appearing on her face as she shakes her head slightly.

“Guzma’s a lot, and you’re…exactly what he hates.” You hide the wince that the words cause, telling yourself that you didn’t even know this man and what he thinks of you should have no effect on you. “Follow me, I’ll take ya to the kitchen. We don’t exactly have a fine dining experience, but grub’s grub.”

The decisive way that she changed the topic told you it was best not to ask too much about this mysterious ‘boss’; besides it wasn’t as if this would be a concern of yours for much longer. There had be some way for you to get back to Aether, you just had to look for it and you knew that as long as you found someone who knew of Aether you could definitely convince them to get you home.

Home was a foreign concept, but you supposed even all that coldness that seeped into the foundations of Aether would be better than this constant feeling of danger. Impending doom, you corrected as you stumbled after Plumeria who gracefully dodged all the rubbish and debris that littered all over the mansion. You were less agile due to unfamiliarity and exhaustion, the entire building seemed void of life even though everything hinted at a veritable legion of people that lived here.

You never took too much notice of the scent of dampness that permeated the entire house, but it became much more apparent the longer you walked in this house. The source was likely the pattering of rain against the windowpanes, a deluge of liquid that pounded constantly against the roof. It takes you a moment to realize that you haven’t seen rain in what felt like a lifetime ago, curiosity distracting you from everything else as you dart towards the closest window.

What you see isn’t what you were expecting, there were trees, bushes, a couple of houses and standing proudly as the sky showered them with rain. You can’t seem to look away, the world was so much _more_ that you had thought it was, it had been so long since you’ve seen something that wasn’t just open expanse of sea. The ground looked paved with stones, painted with bright splashes of colour in the gray scheme of the rest of the town that you could see.

“It ain’t much to look at,” the sardonic lilt to Plumeria’s voice isn’t noted by you at all as you press your hands against the chilled glass, warm skin fogging up the cool surface. “But it’s home, and it’s not like we have anywhere else to go, not like you.”

The words don’t even register as you watch the leaves shiver in the storm, the delicate movements beautiful in its simplicity. You want to go outside, there’s a deep yearning suddenly to feel the rain battering your skin like it was the trees. If you’ve ever been in rain before, you don’t remember it and you want to know what it feels like, what it smells like. But there was no way these people would let you out.

After all, you were nothing more than a prisoner and prisoners didn’t go outside. Never mind the fact that you weren’t allowed outside even in Aether, what miracle would it be if that Alpha would let you. Backing away from the window, you turn to Plumeria who had begun walking towards the kitchen again and quickly scurry after her, always a few steps behind her. She doesn’t seem to notice as she begins rummaging throughout the quaint area for something easy to prepare that wouldn’t put them out of business for the next couple of weeks.

“Cereal,” she pours out a healthy amount into a cracked bowl along with some milk, “Not exactly five-star service but you’ll have to take what we got. Eat up, we still gotta find ya somewhere to stay while you’re with us.”

The cereal was stale, that much you could gather as you scooped a bit into your mouth, the taste of false sugary sweet evident but it didn’t make you dislike the simple meal. In fact, compared to the bland meals you were accustomed to, this was strides above and you couldn’t help but to wish there had been a little more. Unfortunately, it seemed before you could even get to the bottom of the bowl, your stomach had seized up and protested more food.

It seemed you had forgotten the week-long fast that you’d just put yourself through right before you were dumped here, there would be no way for you to eat as you pleased for the next few days. You held in the despondent sigh that threatened to slip through, it was pointless to mope about things like this especially when you had other things to think about.

“Thank you,” you voiced, an apologetic expression on your face as you pushed the half-consumed bowl in her direction, “I can’t seem to eat any more, sorry.” You watched in shock as she raised an eyebrow and cracked a smirk.

“Ya sure about that?” Those golden eyes twinkled as she snatched the bowl from in front of you and dumped the remainder down her throat. “More for me then. Thanks.” Wiping the back of her hand across her mouth she studies the look of surprise on your face that melts surprisingly into mirth.

“You’re welcome,” your smile fades quickly as suspicion overtakes it, mind whirring slightly as the actions process once more. You want to ask, but fearful of the reaction you decide not to say anything, but it doesn’t erase the expression of contemplation on your face.

Did she not know what your designation was? Maybe that was why she would be willing to eat what you had left because there was no way anyone would lower themselves to sharing their meals with an Omega otherwise. At least, it was clear from the way you were always fed last and with whatever the rest of the employees of Aether hadn’t chosen. It was surprising the say the least, if this was how people treated you if they didn’t know your designation, you would happily keep it a secret.

Brushing a hand through your hair, you glanced back at the kitchen island and at the quiet expression on the taller female across from you. You tilt your head slightly to the side, a slight frown crossing your lips as you see the hint of amusement on hers, “What’s the matter?”

“Nothin’, silly,” Plumeria’s grin grew more pronounced, “I’ve got some stuff I gotta clear with Guzma, you make yourself at home.” Upon seeing the confusion on your face, she clarifies, “Guzma, the big white-haired lug that was just upstairs? I’m sure you saw him, he’s kinda hard to miss.”

“Is that the way ya should be talkin’ about the boss ‘round these parts?” A gravelly voice startles the both of you, turning to see Guzma leaning slightly on the kitchen entranceway with an eyebrow raised. “Sis, let’s go, we’ve got stuff to cover.”

Plumeria shrugs, patting you on the shoulder and following the intimidating Alpha away and leaving you at a slight loss alone in the large kitchen. Breathing in deeply through your nose, you decide to scope around the seemingly enormous house and figure out a plan while you were at it.

. . .

“So Bossman, you got orders for me?” There’s a casual glint in Plumeria’s cat-like eyes that goes unnoticed by the distracted Guzma, “What’s the plan with Lusamine’s kid and the ward, is the claim legit?”

Easing himself into his seat, his hands splayed over the worn armrests of the ‘throne’ that he had used for nearly a decade. The sharp lines of his eyebrows drew together as he mutters, “Don’t think the brat’s lyin’ but I can’t help but feelin’ antsy about the entire thing. It’s f_u_ckin’ bizarre, why would he go against his mother?”

“I mean your instinct is usually on the money, so if ya sayin’ he’s being honest…” a wry grin appeared on her lips, “’Sides, we should be last people to be judgin’ kids’ relationship with their parents.”

An uncharacteristic sigh fell through Guzma’s lips, “Ain’t that right. Whaddya think of the lil’ one, any attitude we need to correct? Can’t imagine this place compared to condition at Aether.”

“No, she’s fine,” a slight frown appeared on Plumeria’s face, “Didn’t see any attitude, in fact, she looked downright spooked. What did ya do? And don’t you give me that look, I know for a fact ya did somethin’ you shouldn’t have.”

“Didn’t do nothin’, not my fault she’s got the spine of a worm.” The easy shrug is not without some awkwardness, the way he bit at the inside of his cheek said enough about the truth of his words. “I didn’t mean to, I just cornered her and told her to stay outta my way on my turf.”

His jaw clenched at the memory of those moments, why had he been so cutting? He felt the ‘Alpha’ part of him going wild with aggravation and seething in fury for some unknown reason, making him more irritable than should’ve been. A rare pang of guilt appeared in his chest as he recalls the way you trembled when his hand touched your chin as well as the clear fear in your voice. He’s distracted out of his ruminations when he feels a punch on his shoulder, “Ow, what was that for?”

Plumeria rolled her eyes dramatically, “Don’t be such a wuss, that didn’t even tickle. You’re supposed to be gettin’ her on our side, keep it up and she’ll make a run for it. That’s the last thing we need.”

A sharp inhale is his response as an irrational flame of anger appears when the thought of your possible actions, “She wouldn’t dare if she knew what was good for her.” A harsh sound emerges from his throat as he mutters, “But we can’t rule it out, we gotta keep an eye on her. Don’t keep her with the rest of the brats…you okay with a new roomie?”

The golden-eyed woman hides her surprise at her long-time brother’s request, the last time anyone got this kind of preferential treatment, at least on the very first day…she couldn’t really think of anyone. But perhaps she was reading too much into it, Plumeria shrugged, “Yeah, I’m down. If that’s what ya want, any other plans you got?”

“I need a second opinion on how we’re gonna be playin’ it with Aether. Once we got a plan, we’ll tell a few of the squadron leaders the deal,” Guzma’s lips pressed into a serious line as he contemplated, “I don’t wanna think there’re any moles in our family, but it pays to be cautious in these times.”

“Ya don’t need to remind me,” Plumeria’s eyes narrow, “I’d say we pretend we’ve got no idea what’s goin’ on for as long as we possibly can. We didn’t hear nothin’, and from what Lusamine’s kid was sayin’ Aether won’t take the initiative to tell us too much ‘bout their ward.”

“That’s what I was thinkin’,” the white-haired Alpha nodded, “Least that’s till the kid joins us, we need to have some kinda contingency for when that happens. If the League gets involved, things’ll get messier…we don’t need that.”

“Under the condition we don’t get an Ultrabeast knocking on our door, I think that sounds pretty good,” his faithful second-in-command replied, “Solid. How’s our budget looking these days? Aether should’ve payed us for the Pokémon we snatched, it should be enough to cover for a week or two if I remember right.”

Clicking a few times on his laptop, Guzma nods slowly, “Yeah, they made the deposit yesterday. We’ll need to make a run to the Thifty Megamart, pick up some stuff before hittin’ up Panolia Ranch for some raw materials.”

“I’ll take care of that. I’ve got time tomorrow afternoon; I’ll bring Pip’s squad since they threw such a fit last time when they couldn’t go,” Plumeria grinned, “Maybe we could take our newest lil’ resident along?”

There was an immediate chill that enveloped the room, “You’ve taken such a likin’ to her? Ya trust her not to just bolt?” A cold line formed on his lips, “I didn’t think you of all people needed a reminder that she ain’t one of us, when all said and done, she’s got a place anywhere. But that ain’t us.”

A silence descended into the once casual air before it was broken by the quiet words of Plumeria, “Guzma…If you saw the way she stared outside, you’d probably understand.” A sad smile lifted the corner of her full lips, “’Sides you could always just keep an eye on her, I doubt she’d be as stupid as to run when she don’t even know where she is.”

He grunted non-committedly, “You just figure out who’s goin’ tomorrow to Thrifty Megamart, you know the deal. Lemme know tomorrow what time ya gonna be back, bring your team with, who knows what’s out there these days.”

Plumeria nodded, hands inexplicably reaching into her pockets to brush against the smooth surface of her partner’s Pokéballs. Looking at the withdrawn expression on Guzma’s face, she fought the urge to sigh; life seemed to only get more and more tiring as time went on.

. . . 

Left to your own devices, you decided to wander a bit inside the mansion as there had been no explicit instructions to stay in the kitchen. You felt surprisingly steady, at least there wasn’t the looming panic that resulted from being somewhere foreign and dangerous. Your senses seemed sated by the food and the warmth you’d felt from Plumeria, the comfort you drew from her inexplicable acceptance bolstered you.

The red carpet was once again visible as you step into the foyer, which you now notice was cluttered dreadfully with boxes of all shapes and sizes. Some were clearly newer than others, some nearly melting directly into the filthy carpet and others still full of some mysterious things. You weren’t too concerned about the clutter, although the sheer amounts of splintered furniture and destroyed appliances didn’t exactly make the place more welcoming.

You turned then towards the other wing of the house you had yet to explore, the lack of light making itself noticeable when you couldn’t even make out what was beyond the mildly lit foyer. Your steps were slow and measured as you walked, the lack of people allowing your guard to be lowered.

Your hair had been freed of its matted state, falling softly as you ran your fingers through the locks and your hand unconsciously moved to the omega symbol at the base of your throat. The silvery sign and the skin around it were prickling with discomfort, you weren’t alien to the feeling as it had been near constant in your life.

Being away from the Alpha would always be like this, there seemed to be a special patch of nerves there especially attuned to the Alpha, whether that would be the proximity or their emotions. Anything that the Omega side of you viewed as negative would always bring about irritation akin to pins and needles, it had gotten better over the years, but it was still endlessly annoying.

You tried not to think about what happened when your Omega-side was happy, it would almost always end in a spectacular mess and make yourself into a fool. Your mind slipped back to him, the gray-eyed Alpha, Guzma as your rubbed against your Mark. Almost immediately a jolt of something flashed through your body, making you shudder and nearly go limp; you blanked, and the sensation disappeared before you could even try to figure out what it was.

However, you didn’t seem to realize that the irritation you felt at being so far away from Lusamine had begun to fade. Just as you were about to peer into that dark hallway, the main doors burst open with a loud bang, raucous laughter nearly deafening in comparison to the once-silence that permeated the mansion.

You felt like you were supposed to run, hide and do something that wasn’t staring at the group of youths like an idiot. But you didn’t seem to want to move, your eyes drank in the sight of wide grins and sarcastic voices layering and complimenting each other. When was the last time you heard so much…happiness?

Just as you were about to leave, a pair of eyes meet with yours by chance and you could see the surprise flash in the chocolate brown. A curious expression enters that youthful face, head tilted slightly in your direction as he takes his time studying you. Just as his lips parted, likely to address you, Plumeria had descended the stairs and drew their attention without a single word.

“So brats, how was the haul?” Her arms were crossed as she looked imperiously down at them, “Don’t tell me ya’ll came back empty-handed, ya wanna be chewed out by th’Boss?”

“It’s that friggin’ brat again, that young Champion Alpha. He thinks he so much better than us, but Boss would’ve kicked his ass in two seconds flat,” the same brown-eyed boy that met your gaze earlier spoke. “We still got somethin’, it ain’t much but…” There are peculiar stones in his hands, ones that carried imprints of what should’ve been ancient life.

A smirk appears on her lips, “Not bad. Not ideal, but it coulda been worse. Toss ‘em into the storage room, maybe we’ll be able to barter with the League with ‘em, Olivia’s constantly lookin’ at ‘em weird rocks.”

The happiness on the group of youths was evident from the way they beamed, their emotions affecting your own as the corners of your lips lifted slightly. Before you could catch yourself, Plumeria was looking towards you and gesturing.

“Meet our newest resident,” her voice carried easily in the foyer, “She ain’t like you ragamuffins, so don’t be stupid and get her into trouble. Don’t get any ideas about makin’ her ya scapegoat, I _will_ end you.” Here she sends you a saucy wink, “You’ll be in mostly safe hands, unless they don’t want their hands anymore.”

The fact that she was acknowledging you was startling enough, especially among her own, but the added words of caution made you think you were hallucinating. It wasn’t possible someone would be willing to accept you, everything you’ve ever experienced was being ostracized and excluded. For the first time in a very long time, you felt what acceptance was like.

. . .

The days passed by slowly, the gentle crawl of time that was only slightly assuaged by the newfound company you had all the time. No one seemed concerned about where you stayed around the ‘Shady House’ as its residents called it, as long as they found you in time for mealtimes.

You didn’t necessarily want to compare it to the time you’d spent in Aether, but you couldn’t deny that your treatment here could be considered pure bliss in comparison. No one ever treated you as if you were below them, you seemed to meld smoothly with the rest of the group easily. Even if you weren’t terribly close to anyone yet, being that you spent your days within while most of everyone ducked out for the day, it felt nice to be part of a group.

But while your mind was satisfied at the moment with the surprising hospitality of Team Skull, your body had already begun protesting its distance away from its recognized Alpha. The omega insignia branded over the base of your throat would throb in time to the pounding headache that hammered behind your temples. It was misery, and you knew you couldn’t even do anything to resolve it. You couldn’t go back to Aether, not when Alpha Lusamine had abandoned you; yet you couldn’t get this awful pain to abate.

Thoughts about your Alpha brings into mind’s eye the Alpha of Team Skull and the man that you could easily say intrigued as much as he terrified. You hadn’t spoken to him since that day, that _awful_ day, and from the way he pretended you didn’t exist you imagined that your distance was appreciated. You barely understood your body, even though it had existed like this for nearly a decade and you didn’t know how you would explain it either.

“You okay?” Pip’s warm voice somehow made it past the incessant buzzing in your ears, “You’re not looking so good, you look like in a lot of pain. You need ice?” His hand pressed lightly onto your blood-flushed cheek, causing you an extra stab of irritation where he touched you.

Your lips parted, speaking so quietly that he had to lean in to hear, “I’m okay. I just need to lie down somewhere. I’m just going to head up to my room, you go on with your training, everyone is still waiting on you.”

The concern in his eyes was telling, but after being assured that you would make it to your bed he ducked out of the door and left to join the rest of his squadron. Your face immediately twisted into a pained frown as your body was lanced with discomfort of an even higher degree. You had to get away from everyone, there would be no comfort to be found here without an Alpha as your body screamed to be by Lusamine’s side. You bit back a groan, wishing you had asked someone to help you up the stairs instead of pretending you were able to get up without support for your wobbling legs.

The Omega Mark burned fiercely and painfully as you began your slow ascent, clutching onto the railing for dear life, the coldness of your fingers contrasting to the blistering pain in your chest. You felt like you might be dying as your vision swam while you prepared to take another step. Regret follows quickly because you feel your foot get nothing but air, causing you to lose your balance and begin to pitch down the staircase. Your consciousness was beginning to fade as your body leaned backward, the ceiling taking up more of your vision than the stairs as a rush of hurried footsteps enters your fading memory.

Right as your vision turns black, you feel a strong pair of arms that pull you to your feet and into a warm embrace. The comforting smell of earth and oak swirl in your nose, lulling you into safety and slumber is the last thing you can register before giving up your consciousness.

. . .

Guzma’s mind had been less focused than usual, granted he found himself usually pacing with restless energy anyway. However, this was something else entirely because no matter how worn out his body might feel, there was something knocking at the back of his mind. His hands reached into his hair, the habit unbroken since he was a child, tugging at the strands to help relieve the pressure he was feeling from his head.

The days had passed by unblinkingly, slowly and a little to difficultly. He couldn’t help but note that something had changed since the day you moved into the Shady House; something had shifted within him. Guzma had never felt so out of depth before, in a situation where his emotions weren’t in his control. Granted, he usually let anger have free reign as it came but this was nothing close to anger, it was too soft and gentle to be something even close to anger.

His mind would not stay away from you, it would constantly be swirling around the air, the traces of your mouth-watering scent that tangled itself around him. He couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to be closer to the source and if the taste would be as good as the smell. Thus, he kept away the best he could even though he kept close tabs on how you were behaving.

While he was distracted, it didn’t prevent him from noticing how certain things didn’t add up, at least to his initial assumptions of who you were and what you did. For one, you were beyond skittish and always faded purposefully into the background as if you were used to hiding. That spoke against a young and important scientist that Guzma initially thought of you as, making him more intrigued in trying to puzzle out the entire situation. Not only that, but the way you held yourself spoke volumes of who you might be; your body language constantly screamed to be of diminished presence.

It reminded him of the broken boy he had seen in the mirror a lifetime ago.

Just as he was about to turn his attention away from you so he could finally get something done for the day, there is a harsh twinge in his gut that tells him to get to you. Something inevitable perforated his entire body as he lunged out of the room and towards the wide stairway to grab you just as your body was about to fall.

The swift action resulted in your smaller, softer body to be cradled in his chest, completely limp and void of any tension that he had seen the last time he was this close. Your body was unnaturally warm, he could say this because your skin felt slightly feverish against his usually warmer body temperature. A worry surfaced in his mind, were you sick?

The thought is banished due to its unsolicited nature, Guzma does his best not to breathe as he helps you up the rest of the stairs. Your delicate features didn’t seem as pinched, the lines of your eyebrows gently smoothing out as he supported you. His gray eyes couldn’t seem to stray away from your face, constantly irrationally worried about your wellbeing. The gentle scent of ripening mangoes and magnolias danced in the air around you, causing some debilitating effect on him.

Guzma hated the fact you could make him feel as if he had no control over his emotions and actions, even he wasn’t idiotic enough to disregard the strange pull you had. There were equal parts of him inexplicably angry as there was a fierce possessiveness and desire to shield you from all harm. The scariest thing was that he didn’t even know you, but you affected him in a way no one else had before.

He’s startled out of his thinking when he feels a small hand grasp at his sweater, clearly unconsciously when he sees that your eyes were shut and breathing evenly. After placing you onto Plumeria’s bed somewhat reluctantly, he turns to leave quietly only to be stopped by a near-silent sound of pain.

_This was hell_. Guzma’s lips were pulled into a severe scowl as he swept his gaze over your expression of pain before noticing the way your hands were moving around restlessly. Almost as if he wasn’t in full control over his body, his hand is placed onto yours and without even a second passing, you were clutching onto it.

_So soft. So warm_. He was sure his brain short-circuited as his heart pounded wildly in his chest, the feel of your hand in his shouldn’t make him feel like he’s tasted a bit of nirvana. It was illogical, it was idiotic, and it was something that he _shouldn’t be doing_.

His head hurt, he needed to figure out what he was going to do with you soon. Clearly alienating you would prove useless in the future if he were to bargain with Lusamine, at least that was going to be the reason why he was sitting next to your slumbering self while gently holding that tender hand.

. . .

Ever since that day your Omega-side had acted up, it had faded back into a corner of your mind seemingly frightened or confused and unwilling to force you to return to your Alpha. It was quite strange, however, you didn't have the energy to analyse why this change might be as you were busy being dragged all around the mansion with the accompaniment of Pip and his group of friends. You simply accepted the fading of irritation and spent your time otherwise occupied. When you weren't being badgered by Pip or Plumeria, you remained on your perch near a window to watch the rain. 

You couldn’t really help it, the ‘outside’ had been stripped from you for so long that it was almost wondrous to see it again. Even if it was dreary and storming with no signs of stop. You didn’t mind it, you almost preferred it to that sterile whiteness that Aether was known for; you ignored the faint feeling of guilt at that thought. Pressing a hand onto the chilled glass, you felt for the slight tremors of the rain pelting onto the window in a non-stop rhythm.

So engrossed by the sight of outside, you hadn’t even noticed that you were being watched by a pair of near-predatory eyes that studied your every movement with a keenness that even the man himself was unaware of. Guzma couldn’t even really explain his own actions, he had so much to think about, yet his mind was consumed with you, whether framed with curiosity, annoyance or a subtle tinge of _want_.

He wanted to dislike you, there was clearly something that drew him to you too strongly to be explained by any known phenomenon. However, remembering the depth of the fear in your eyes made that impossible, he knew what it was like to fear…it wasn’t a pleasant feeling. Besides, Guzma convinced himself that there was no harm in smoothing it over, after all, you were likely to be more helpful if you were on his side.

He didn’t really want to think about how he’d just been lurking under the safety of the staircase shadow for a solid five minutes now, just watching you. Even if the delicate way your lips turned down caused that muscle in his chest to squeeze when he recognized the wonder and longing in your gaze. The image imprints itself into his mind and he can’t stop envisioning that same expression on your face but directed to him.

Guzma shakes his head, _what _was the matter with him? You weren’t even his type, so soft and delicate and _weak_. So why couldn’t he walk away, why was he rooted to the spot and trying to work up the nerve to just _apologize_? He didn’t want to think about the fact that he hadn’t apologized to anyone since the time he accidentally broke a grandma’s leg. (In his defence it had been a total accident and the grandma in question had incredibly brittle bones).

His Alpha-side seemed to quiet down when faced with you, especially when your eyes betrayed your evident longing for what should have been wholly undesirable weather outdoors. Yet from the expression of rapture on your delicate features, it was clearly something more than that to you, it made his chest feel heavy. There was an infuriated voice in his mind telling him that you deserved so much more than to feel caged; you were meant to be cherished and wanted.

Guzma’s rationality won over that incessant voice, however even he didn’t realize that his entire demeanor had softened as he prepared to walk to where you had been guarding the window for the last few days. Or at least when you weren’t ducking around the mansion along with some of the other members of ‘Team Skull’ that had taken a liking towards you.

“Ahem,” he clears his throat awkwardly, feeling more nervous than he has any right to be when faced with someone half his size and as delicate as glass. He can’t seem to muster up any of the anger that he felt the first day he met you, the emotion that he wielded so easily seemed to fail in the face of your open vulnerability.

Your face turns slowly to face him, as if you hadn’t yet realized who exactly had interrupted your daily dose of outside gazing. When your eyes land on the hulking figure in front of you however, there is an immediate stiffening of your body as your face freezes. The moment rests for several seconds before you force yourself to break it, “Yes, sir?”

You weren’t sure what you were expecting, given that all you’ve seen of this broody and dangerous Alpha was being chillingly cold or dangerously angry, but what you got was a sarcastic lilt of the lips. There was definitely a feeling of your heart missing a beat as those storming eyes flashed with a hint of amusement, “Who ya callin’ sir? I sure hope it ain’t me, pretty sure I ain’t old enough or gentleman-like enough to be called that.”

While you could feel the natural pressure of _Alpha_ simply just swimming around you, you could easily tell that it had been restrained at least partly for your sake. The thoughtfulness of this simple action allows your trepidation to fade a little as you reply slowly, head tilted upwards, “Then what should I call you, Alpha?”

The words should not be having this effect on him, you were a perfect stranger and from Aether; but that didn’t stop his mind from replaying the way your lips and tongue caressed the word. _Alpha_, the curl of a tongue followed by a soft sigh, two syllables that shot heat straight through his body. _Jesus Christ. _

“No,” the word sounds slightly strangled, but you’re too busy studying that artfully crafted face to notice the nuance in that single monosyllable word. “Just Guzma’s good, uh, callin’ people their designations isn’t somethin’ we do here. Ya got a name?”

There is a carefully blank expression on your pretty face, eyes perfectly reflecting the way you viewed him, tall and slightly overbearing. Guzma fights the urge to curl in on himself so he wasn’t looking over you, but his inherent pride didn’t allow him to. But he decides next time (there would most certainly be a next time) he would find someway to talk to you without looming.

“I think I did, but I can’t seem to remember it anymore,” there was an obvious lack of concern over this fact, which is what he saw. In reality, you had replied in such a manner every single time an inquiry of your name was made. You felt tired of trying to reach into the white abyss of your memory only to find nothing.

A curious glint flashed in your eyes, sparking a bit more life into your features and making you look less like a doll and more human, “You can just pick a name if you want, everyone else’s just been giving me nicknames all week. You could just use the same thing you call the team.”

Guzma chuckles, the sound low and amused and making you feel a tiny shiver down your spine, “Somehow I don’t think any of ‘em’ll fit, ya don’t exactly fit into the brats we usually end up with.”

The words shouldn’t have hurt you, but they did. Did he have to remind you that you weren’t part of them, that you were separate from the rest and that you didn’t _belong_ here just as you never belonged anywhere. Even though the Shady House is far from what you considered to be home, the past few days have been _so_ much better than the life you had been living on Aether. The words that denotes exclusion cut into you and a sadness washes over your features immediately much to the anxiety of the watching Alpha.

_Shit. Fuck. Fucking shit._ What did he _do_? Guzma’s Alpha-side was practically rampaging at the sight of those watering eyes, wide and staring at him as if he had just delivered news that your entire family had been wiped from the earth and fed to the fish. _I have to fix this_. _She can’t cry, I can’t make her cry_.

Almost immediately his body moves, as if out of his volition and acting on pure instinct as he crouches down so his face can be level with yours; the words tumble out of his lips so quickly that he doesn’t even register them. “I’m sorry, don’t cry. I didn’t mean ta scare ya that day, I didn’t mean it.”

His eyebrows were furrowed with concern as he continues, “Ya don’t need to be scared, alright? Team Skull ain’t the good guys, but I’ll be damned if we’re the bad ones.” He pauses, mind finally returning from wherever it was kicked by his Alpha. “Uh, yeah.” Guzma does not want to look at your face, you probably thought he was literally insane, going from about to boot her out into the rain and to this grovelling idiot. _What the actual fuck is wrong with him?_

But your sadness is wiped away and there is no ridicule on that beautiful face, just faint surprise that curled your lips into an almost unnoticeable smile. There is something so debilitating about the sight that he just gawks for a solid second before clearing his throat awkwardly, “Um, ya like the rain or somethin’?”

He most certainly wants to smack himself into oblivion for saying something so stupid but it seems like his brain doesn’t want to work today. But you don’t seem notice anything bizarre about his behaviour, in fact, you almost seemed giddy from the way your eyes glinted with emotion.

“Not really, I just…haven’t seen it in a long time,” your voice held hints of sorrow, but unlike earlier where it brought copious amounts of guilt and panic to Guzma, he only felt anger. If you wanted to see rain, why couldn’t you while you were on Aether? You shouldn’t have been denied anything. The thought is utterly irrational and banished to the corner of his mind where his Alpha-side was religiously repeating it.

“How come?” There is genuine curiosity, if you were so important to Lusamine’s projects, how could you have possibly been unable to see rain of all things? It didn’t add up at all, and the thought makes him slightly uncomfortable.

“Alpha Lusamine wouldn’t let me,” and the words create a very strange cacophony of emotions and thoughts that give Guzma an immediate headache. He remembers why you had sparked such anger the first day you met, the flames of unadulterated rage are burning as if someone had dumped a life-time’s supply of gasoline on it. _Alpha Lusamine_ belonged nowhere on your tongue, not when you were supposed to be _his_. Which is drowned out by the fact that, the hell? You weren’t allowed to look at rain? Were you not allowed outside?

Nope, he had to get out of here before he did something irrational and pinned you to the window and say something scathing as you cowered. The idea does spark some primal interest, wanting you to be hurt and rejected because that was what his _Alpha_ was feeling right now. He stands in a rush, not wanting to be near you for fear of doing something insane again.

“Ask Plumeria to take you outside,” Guzma tosses this over his shoulder as he stalks up the stairs and into his room before throwing himself onto his throne. He feels as if there’s something wild beneath his skin threatening to burst forth, the excess energy fading alarmingly fast when he left your proximity.

Despite your seemingly harmless exterior, you might be the most dangerous thing he’s ever been faced with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry it's been so long, but here's a new installation. I have a better idea on what's going on now, so yay! I hope you enjoy this chapter. 
> 
> Also, everyone please be safe! The new virus going around is no joke, remember to wash your hands and wear masks when out in public :))


	4. (D)raining days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stories, both new and old.

. . . 

It didn’t take long for you to go outside, after receiving permission from Guzma you could barely resist asking Plumeria as soon as she stepped foot back into the Shady House. Your entire body was trembling with excitement as you posed the question at her, not forgetting to inform her that it came with the Boss’ stamp of approval.

Plumeria, to her credit, didn’t show any surprise at your animated joy but silently noted that this was the very first time she saw you truly smile. It made her wonder if Guzma had been privy to the precious thing that lit your being up so fully as if the heavens themselves were shining upon your face. She wasn’t even sure what she even agreed to before you darted away to giddily share the news with the few buddies you’ve made since you started living here.

It was baffling, but not completely unexpected if she considered the possibility that Guzma was finally able to actually talk to you. A wry smile appeared on her lips, clearly, he also was susceptible to your particular charm and had given in to your silent desire to go out. Plumeria wouldn’t be surprised if you would be allowed out of Po Town in the next few weeks, it only took a few days for Guzma to soften up and seek you out.

She glances upstairs, wondering if now would be the best time to interrogate him regarding you and if the questions were even welcome at this point. While he never kept any secrets, especially from her, she had the intuition that his bizarre behaviour had something to do with his status as an Alpha. Especially when you were…an Omega. The little insignia at the base of your throat shimmered a muted silver the first night Plumeria saw it, the gentle curve elegant and beautiful against your skin.

At first, she’d been unsure of what it meant, the sign was mildly familiar, but she hadn’t ever seen it branded on anyone else before. The symbols you could find around Po Town were the Betas and the sole Alpha mark on Guzma’s neck. A quick search unveiled that what she’d seen was the Greek letter Omega, marking you as the mysterious and once non-existent third type of designation. This discovery was surprising to say the least, however, Plumeria was unconcerned in general about ‘status’ because of designations.

After all, if she let those things mess with her head, Guzma would’ve likely gone crazy if she hadn’t been there to keep him grounded. Or at least keep the damage as minimal as possible, she isn’t going to say that she’d never felt fear in his presence, but she would never allow her fear to treat him differently.

So she kept quiet, as long as you weren’t going to explain, she had no business probing into something so private. Besides, there was something within her inherently against confronting you, someone who didn’t even know how to respond to confrontation other than fear. Plumeria fought the urge to sigh, there were always so many things to do but so little time, she couldn’t waste more of it thinking about you and Guzma.

. . .

You were practically vibrating with excitement as you got ready to go outside, the promise of some modicum of freedom was almost too much to process. The raincoat you were given were several sizes too big and an awful green, but that didn’t dampen your spirits in the slightest. Pip’s squadron who had taken to you the most were also there as support, also displaying quite the bit of excitement.

“Plumeria, are you ready yet?” You don’t even realize that this is the most you’ve spoken on a given day since you’ve gotten here, but no one was inclined to stop you. In fact, the people surrounding your figure had equally bright grins on their faces brought on by your excitement.

“Yeah sweetie, I’m almost done here,” Plumeria grinned, pulling on a pair of waterproof combat boots and shrugging on an overcoat. You seemed much more willing to join in on invitations, especially in comparison to the usual hesitance and worry that accompanied a rejection. On the rare occasions you did agree, it wouldn’t take long for you to bow out.

But now, you were much more involved around the Shady House whether it was playing board games with the rest of the Team Skull kids or just chatting during mealtimes. It was such a refreshing change, although no one really knew what had sparked it, no one was about to complain about it.

“Let’s go,” Pip called out as soon as Plumeria was done changing, yanking the door open with a flourish and welcoming a gush of splattering rain. You blink slightly at the change in lighting, eyes wide and body unmoving as you stared at Po Town.

“C’mon, what’re ya waitin’ for?” The second-in-command of Team Skull teased while linking an arm through yours and pulling you into the rain. You turn to her with a bright smile, nearly tripping as you tried to keep pace with her quick stride. Seeing you struggle makes her slow before sending you an apologetic look, “So, whaddya think?”

You hear the rush of wind and rain surrounding you, the splatter of cool liquid against your face and the scent of soil and water flooding your nose. “It’s wonderful.” You slowly pull yourself from Plumeria’s side and walk towards where Pip’s squadron was waving at you and beckoning for you to join them. You dug your foot into the wet stones, and for the first time in years, you ran.

The buffeting wet wind was cold but when landing on your skin it brought a refreshing feeling to your body, allowing you to run longer than you were supposed to. But the short distance was enough to make you winded, breath coming out in pants as you drew closer and leaning on a friend when you reached them.

“Is this what it’s like all the time?” The curiosity in your voice was obvious, eager to know more about this place. Now that you were more comfortable with basically all the residents in Po Town, it wasn’t as difficult to ignore the tenuous connection with Aether. Raising a hand to shield your vision, you try to see past the downpour but are only rewarded with a blur of grey in the distance.

Lysu, a part of Pip’s group and the person you were currently leaning onto shrugged, “As far as we know, it’s been like this since forever. We don’t really know exactly why it always rains here, but…” her voice lowers mysteriously as she glances towards you with a secretive grin, “Word has it that it’s because of the Tapu.”

“Really?” Your eyes were round with wonder, mind whirring to reconcile the guardian deities as something more than just a figment of people’s imagination. The scientists didn’t talk much about the Tapu, but whenever they were mentioned there were always embittered complaints of their lack of loyalty. “I thought they disappeared after the End.”

Pip’s dark eyes rolled dramatically, “That’s what everyone else says, but they haven’t been drowning for twenty years in this disgusting rain. As far as I know, the Tapu aren’t all-powerful and if the stories are true then they’re still definitely around.”

“Stories?” You asked, looking intently at Pip, “What stories?” Not even noticing that the rain was beginning to seep through your shoes, you were too preoccupied with this newest topic. You glance back at Plumeria who was still standing beneath the eaves of the Shady House, “She won’t be upset with these stories, right?”

Lysu glances at where you were looking before giggling, “Mama Bird? Nah, she’s chill about this, it’s not as if this is somethin’ unheard of, half these stories she told us. Po Town’s origins aren’t exactly a secret, but after…well, most people weren’t as concerned about an abandoned town compared to the Ultrabeasts.”

“Yeah,” Pip nods along with the rest of the group, “Let’s head to the Centre, it’s got heat at least and we can tell the stories that you’re so curious about. C’mon, I’m gettin’ kinda cold in this rain.”

. . .

Plumeria breathed in deeply, savouring the gentle scent of rain and damp earth as she watched you and the rest of the ragamuffins huddle in the rain. She wasn’t too worried about what trouble you could cause, being that Po Town’s doors wouldn’t be opening today. Under those circumstances, there wouldn’t be any risk of invasion and she could afford to be a little laxer when it came to security. 

“So are you going to stop lurking?” She can’t hide her amusement at all, a smile curling her lips as she turns her head slightly to where Guzma had been loitering about and mostly out of sight. “I thought you had something quite important to do this morning, I mean, that is why you rejected my invitation earlier, no?”

“Shaddup,” he grumbled, embarrassment clear in the way he guiltily slunk his way to her side, “I just, wanted some fresh air, that’s all. No need to be so weird about it.” The words aren’t _technically_ a lie, but Plumeria knew him too well to be fooled by something so elementary; Guzma supposed that as long as he didn’t say it directly, maybe he wouldn’t be so affected.

“You’re the one makin’ it weird, _weirdo_.” Her eyes glinted slightly when she realized that her long-time friend was a bit too preoccupied with staring in your direction to even reply to her pointed jab. He’s clearly hopeless, and there was nothing to do about it if he was still so adamantly in denial, the thought passes somewhat indulgently through her mind. But that didn’t mean that Plumeria wasn’t slightly leery about his behaviour when it concerns you, it was the least she could do as a friend to be cautious of this strange obsession he had.

She had never seen him so drawn to another person in all the time that she has known him, nor be so cautious about his behaviour or be willing to please somebody. Even though she knew that within the depths of Guzma’s hardened heart there was the yearning for acceptance, she had never seen him actively search for it. Plumeria knew that his usual reaction to outsiders was to alienate and ignore, so the fact that you could elicit such dramatic reactions from him so quickly was…unnerving.

As if he could sense the gears in her mind whir, Guzma turns to her with features schooled neatly and with a faint twinge of cold, “There’s no way she was a researcher at Aether, too many things don’t add up. To work at Aether means you have talent, and all those scientists are obnoxiously smug and overconfident.”

Plumeria’s mind is blank at the sudden pivot of the conversation, questioning if she had been reading him right. She supposes that his interest to you could be suspicion, but still, there was definitely something else, something that he was hiding when it came to you. Deciding to humour this turn, she responds, “Yeah, she doesn’t look a thing like a researcher. Doesn’t behave like one either, but why is it that Aether would be so protective of this…nobody then.”

“That’s the thing I’m trippin’ over, there’s no way that lil’ blonde brat would have the guts to screw with us. He’s clearly way too fresh to be schemin’ any more than what he’s already done, she’s clearly from Aether,” the words flowed like connected thoughts, a product of his constant musings. “Did she tell ya anythin’?”

Plumeria shakes her head, “Nothin’, but it’s not like I’ve really asked her. You get the feelin’ she’d try her best to tell ya everythin’ even if it would hurt herself.” A dry chuckle left her lips as she continues, “I’m sure ya feel it too, but I just don’t wanna make her feel…forced.”

Guzma swallows the sound of panic that he was sure was going to make, not wanting his long-time friend to be even more suspicious of his behaviour. He forces his heart rate to slow, and when he’s positive his voice shows no inflection of panic he replies, “Yeah, she’s…she’s uh, sensitive. But I know she’s not here to harm us, she doesn’t even wanna be here.”

“If there’s anyone innocent in this entire situation, it’s her.” The amber-eyed woman mutters, “What did they do to her in Aether? It’s like she’s never been taught to say no.” Plumeria can’t deny that she was curious about your story, and there were definitely many to be told if judging by the air of mystery that shrouded you so deeply.

. . .

The Pokémon Centre was just about as rundown as the rest of the town, the paint on the walls was peeling and a distinct shade of mottled yellow-green, matching the dreary look of the entire building. The grunts holding fort weren’t too surprised at your appearance, being aware of your plans for the day, they even bothered to clear out a bit of space from the overflow of cardboard boxes.

“Hey y’all, happy to be out of the rain I’ll bet,” the pink-haired boy welcomed, leaning over the counter where Nurse Joy would have been stationed. “We’ve got heat here, even if it’s just for the lobby so make yaselves at home. If you’re stayin’ here all morning, I’m headin’ out for some fun.”

He just about bolts out of the dim Pokémon Centre, you stare after him and voice a quiet question, “Does he hate this place that much?” You turn back to Pip with a slight frown on your lips as you make your way to the space that he had left to his side and plop yourself down.

“Nah,” the brunette shrugged, rifling his fingers through his wet locks in an attempt to rid it of some of the moisture, “Guard duty’s too boring, no one can open the gates of Po Town from the outside so it’s a pretty lame way to spend a mornin’. Anybody would be happy to get time off guard duty.”

“Oh,” but your mind was elsewhere, the outside that you now knew was beyond the gates of Po Town. You wondered what it was like, did it rain like it did here or was it sunny, or perhaps windy? There was an undeniable desire within you to go outside, be it curiosity or the want to be free of yet another cage, yet…would he allow you?

“You wanted to know about the rain right,” Lysu piped up next to you, bringing you back to the earlier conversation, her sea-green eyes twinkled mischievously in the dim light as she grinned, “Don’t get too freaked out though.”

“The story begins many years ago, even long ago before the End,” Pip begins, voice low and rhythmic, “When Po Town was a thriving little town by the sea, surrounded by the richness of flowers and the treasures of the sea, the sun shone brightly upon it and all its residents. The houses were quaint but neat and neighbours genuine and friendly, it was no different from Hau’oli or Konikoni. However, things began to change when a mysterious family moved in.”

You were clearly enraptured by the story, but there was a faint sense within you that told you that it wasn’t completely foreign. Nonetheless, your eyes remained trained onto the storyteller with your full focus, a quiet and reserved Po Town coming into mind’s eye filled with neatly groomed lawns and houses that each boasted its unique charms.

The peace was disrupted by the abrasive roaring of engines that brought everyone out of their houses to stare at the enormous truck that followed behind a jet-black vehicle that screamed opulence. Even though most of the community had been outside to greet the visitors, all they received was the grit and sand stirred up by the wheels of the massive truck. The small procession didn’t stop until they reached the large clearing that lay atop an outcropping above the sea.

Here the car stopped and out stepped a neatly dressed chauffeur that moved to open the door in the passenger side to reveal a clean white heel and gloved hands. The woman that left the vehicle was the epitome of grace and charm, delicate features and frame that made it seem a strong wind would crumble her. When she turned to see the curious faces of the townspeople, a brilliant smile lit up her face, with the sun streaming in behind her and the background filled only with sparkling water…an angel.

Despite the abrupt way she had barged into the little Po Town, she showed nothing but unending kindness and patience to all the townspeople. Gently gathering all the families, she introduced herself as the daughter of an influential family, but due to her sickly constitution, her parents thought it best to keep her somewhere quiet and warm. She told them a house was to be constructed, and that any disruptions it would cause would be provided reparations for. 

She never returned.

A decade passed before the house finally had their first residents, a cold-faced man and two little girls no bigger than toddlers and an entourage of employees to upkeep the house. The plan was to have the help rear the children here; in this quiet place their mother had chosen so long ago and in the house she had painstakingly designed as the place she would die. Alas, her wishes were unanswered, for she never even had the chance to lay her eyes on the masterpiece she created.

That was until an unintentional fall by the precocious child led to a discovery of mysterious metal, found only near the sea and the perfect match for apricorns to create never before seen Pokéballs. The place became a gold-mine as the coldness of the businessman melted in the face of more money to be made here than anywhere else he had ever been. The profits flashed before his eyes and the image of his wife he saw in this place was replaced by wealth beyond his imagination.

And then the excavation began. One doesn’t really think how many people are required to mine and the permanent changes to the land that would inevitably result. In a manner not unlike a tyrant, he had decisively banished the entire town’s population from the premises. Even those who were unwilling had no choice to acquiesce to his will, the threat of demolition of their houses if they did not accept his exorbitant price worked like a charm.

This was the beginning of the Po Town we know it now.

The Tapu were beginning to feel displeased, but what happened next would send the once joyful place to a ghost town. The businessman went about his plans to demolish the houses to create a community acting as a base of operation for his mining. The houses of varying histories and colours were replaced by neat white buildings that didn’t have to wait for long to be filled. Po Town became a bustling place as soon as the first drill buried into the ground, investors, workers, and project managers swarmed the once small place.

“Do you think Papa hates us?” One quiet voice whispered to the other in the cover of night as two small bodies huddled together.

There was a long pause, “Even if he does, I’ll love you enough for both of us.” The child was happy that her sister wasn’t able to see the tremulous expression on her face.

“Okay.” The reply was muted, sadness still coloured her voice. “I love you too.”

The businessman had no time for the children, there were profits to be made even if the nearby towns were complaining about the smog and pollution that increased as the years went by. The crystal sea became more and more mottled and as the mining continued, the Pokémon that once filled the forest, grass, and ocean were nowhere to be seen. Eventually, the protests started, and then it devolved into raids into Po Town seen as the source of all the pollution and damage done to the island.

So the businessman had the walls erected to keep out the rest of the residents, the raids had created significant damage to the mining site and another loss like that would be difficult to recover from. There was safety for a little while until the people of Alola could no longer be appeased by cheques written off to the right people, all the islanders were furious and were out for blood. They would not stop until Po Town was destroyed.

The gates opened to let them in, someone within the city had been bought off to ensure their smooth entry and that was when the chaos began. Violence unlike anything Alola had ever seen was unleashed in Po Town that day, homes destroyed and people hurt by Pokémon and humans alike. It wasn’t until the businessman finally stepped out of his stronghold mansion that there was a lull in the chaos, but before he could utter a word in apology or defense a woman blinded by the rage of losing her home and family rushed forward with the intent to kill. Her sick and deceased husband was one of many that suffered at the hands of poisoned water and earth.

Only to the knife that should’ve been buried in that man’s chest plunged a knife into the heart of a young woman, only sixteen years of age and a face so sweet and fine but was splashed with bright drops of her own blood. The sun shone glaringly at this scene as people watched horrified as she crumpled to the ground, a puddle of red that slowly spread out from beneath her prone body.

In the midst of this silence a girl of similar stature and appearance, a sibling surmised the horrified onlookers, rushed out and sank to her knees beside the clearly dying girl. Uncaring of the way her dress was being stained with a red that would never be washed out, she clutched her sister to her chest as she screamed.

_Why?_

** _WHY?_ **

As the body in her arms stilled, her face turned to the sky as if to pose the same question to the heavens. A tear began forming in her right eye, not needing long to slide free and down the tender skin of her cheek before falling towards the ground. It is said the moment that the first tear hit the ground, the heavens opened up and torrential rain started and wouldn’t ever let up. The skies were covered in four enormous clouds, each glowing with the signature colour of one of the Tapu. No one knew the purpose of this rain, some thought it as the Tapu’s tears that fell in mourning of the loss of life, some supposed it was to wash away all of the impurities that Po Town had been riddled with.

Whichever may be the case, once the rain began, it had never stopped ever again

. . .

Dinner was a simple affair, not that you minded as your thoughts were far away from what you were eating and more in the direction of the legend you were told today. After Pip had finished the story, you looked earnestly at him and asked, “That’s it? What about the rest?”

His eyebrows furrowed as he replied, “What do you mean? There isn’t any more, the next thing that happened was Team Skull moving in, but there isn’t a legend behind that.” The same puzzled expression was on everyone else’s faces as you frowned.

“I see.” Your words were measured, “For some reason I thought there was more. It was just a feeling, but you’re right. I suppose it’s just something silly.” A smile was pasted onto your face as the conversation flowed away from the legend and more onto the current state of Alola. Yet the entire time you couldn’t seem to let go of the hunch that there was more to the story, there _had_ to be more, you were sure of it. It made your head hurt, there seemed something blocking off the memory you knew to be there. At least that’s what you thought, but as time passed and you were no closer to figuring out what the story’s actual ending was, you gave up.

Besides, there were other things to worry about. You gently patted Plumeria’s arm to get her attention before voicing a question, “What is that thing?” The bright green mass sitting in the middle of the table was translucent and looked inedible, yet everyone’s eyes glowed as they eyed it as if it were a delicacy.

“Ya mean the Jello?” There was a faint jolt of surprise, but at this point, she was just going to assume you knew virtually nothing about just life in general. The unending inquiries about things that should’ve been known were now quite concerning, it was as if you’d been kept in a box for your entire life or something.

“Jello?” The word stirs up some familiarity, there is the faint idea that the stuff was pretty good. Not terribly sweet and with a particular texture, but the thought disappears like mist when you wanted to pin it down. Ugh, what was wrong with your memories? It had never been so obvious while you were still in Aether, perhaps because nearly every waking moment was filled with either thoughts of Lusamine or the awful scientists.

“Yeah, you can give it a try after dinner,” a grin appeared on the woman’s face, “I’ll make sure th’ brats leave ya some. They usually try to finish it before their boss gets here.” She watches as you smile slightly in response before turning back to your meal as if it was totally normal for someone her age _not_ to know about Jello.

Honestly, whenever Plumeria thought about the reasons why you seemed to hold so much wonder for such tiny, insignificant things, she wanted to straight-up erase the existence of Aether from the surface of the Earth. Even if she couldn’t guarantee that you were definitely abused while you were there, you were most definitely neglected quite severely. There seemed to be a perpetual sadness that hung about your frame, and the way you folded yourself naturally to feel smaller was just heart-breaking.

She was determined to ask you today; your mood was pretty jovial after the trip outside so there really was no better time she reasoned. There were too many questions she had for you, equal amounts about Aether and about the insignia above your collarbone, she had to know for not only your sake but Guzma’s too.

Just as his name passed through her mind, she hears him swagger down the stairs which means…_damn_. The rest of Team Skull near lunged at the plate of Jello in the middle of the table, divvying it up in astounding accuracy and speed before nearly the entire thing was stuffed into ten little mouths. When their Boss rounds the doorway, he’s faced with one medium-sized chunk of Jello that wobbles from the aftermath of what must have been the Mad Jello Dash.

But before he could reach towards the treat, he hears Plumeria scold the rest of the kids, “You good for nothin’s! Did ya notice somebody who didn’t get a share? What’ve we said ‘bout gettin’ to the Jello before Big G even enters the kitchen.”

There are sheepish expressions on everyone’s faces, even if more than half of them were still chomping on the Jello in their stuffed little mouths. He surveys the crowd of faces and sees there’re only two people whose mouths were otherwise unoccupied, which was, of course, Plumeria and you. He wondered if you knew how delectable you looked, effused with quiet happiness and slightly flushed cheeks from what must’ve been a shower.

Guzma shakes his head to both get rid of these cloying images and to express his utmost disappointment in the actions of the kids, “You lil’ shits seem to be gettin’ gutsier as the days go by. Trynna eat my grub while ya still on my turf, askin’ for extra patrols ain’t y’all?”

The corner of his mouth lifts as the brats begin pleading, voices overlapping each other as he reaches for the plate that held the last bit of Jello. But as he brought the treat closer to him, his eyes wandered to where you were, and his mind reminds him of the fact you hadn’t had any yet. Of course, the Alpha bit of his brain was screaming at him yet again, infuriated that he would be such a beast as to steal a portion of your food. But on the other hand _Jello_.

Ugh, he was never going to live this down. His arm extended towards you and slid the plate to where you were sitting, “I know ya didn’t get any, so here ya go. Don’t be thinkin’ this’ll happen another time, just think of it as a welcome to the family.”

The surprise on your face melts away to reveal a happy smile, eyes sparkling like stars themselves as your gaze holds his firmly. He decided that the unabashed way you expressed your emotions was infinitely better than those moments that you withheld yourself, but he wasn’t going to allow you to know that. “Stop smilin’ dummy, eat your Jello.” And with that, he sauntered his way out of the kitchen and away from the rest of Team Skull who had their jaws on the floor.

. . .

Plumeria studied the way you smoothed the fabric of your nightshirt over your body, and how your eyes caught over the faint scars on the back of your hands as it did every evening. She could tell your mood took a swift plummet from the way you fisted slightly oversized shirt; head lowered slightly as a quiet sigh left your lips. She really couldn’t hold off asking though, especially not after what she’d seen this evening, your effect on Guzma was really something else, she’d never seen anything like it.

“Do ya mind if I ask ya a couple of questions?” Plumeria’s golden eyes were trained on your face and watching for any signs of discomfort, “It’s okay if ya don’t wanna, Sweetie. I’m just a lil’ curious, that’s all.”

Your gaze lifted to meet hers, completely open and unguarded as your eyes always were, “I don’t mind, what are you curious about?” It was strange, really, she hadn’t ever met anyone else who had such open eyes but remained unreadable most of the time. Perhaps even the clearest pool would be pitch-black if it was deep enough.

Her mind toyed several questions when it seemed you didn’t have any secrets to keep from her, but she settled with the one she was personally most curious about, “What does that Mark on your collar mean?”

As if even the faintest of acknowledgement would send some sort of reaction to the small patch of skin, your hand raised to where it lay incriminatingly and visible from the large neckline of the shirt. “You mean the Omega symbol?”

“…Omega?” The pink and yellow-haired woman sucked in a deep breath, “I thought Omegas didn’t exist. Everyone said that there was possibly a third mutation, but all these years went by with nothing, so we just assumed…”

“Apparently, I might be one of the only ones here in Alola, at least that’s what I overheard the researchers and scientists assume,” you’d rather not relive your experiences back in Aether with those people that treated you no better than livestock. “They’ve tried looking, but so far I’m the only one they found.”

You sat down on the cot that had been serving as your bed in the last week or two, feeling drained just from the topic at hand as you waited for the next inquiry. It didn’t take long, and it was one that you were somewhat prepared for.

“So what’s it like? Bein’ an Omega,” Plumeria couldn’t have helped herself if she tried, the question was all types of inappropriate in all honesty. “Is it any different from y’know being a Beta?”

Your eyes darted to the black symbol printed onto your friend’s throat, the same one that lay on most people whose ages were over eighteen. What you wouldn’t give to have yours be the same…but that was beside the point. “It’s different I suppose. This designation has more to do with Alphas than Betas from what I can tell, you probably don’t really sense much about me. But an Alpha will always be able to tell that I’m not a Beta.”

She could tell you were quite uncomfortable talking about this, but at the same time, there was something in your voice that hinted you had been swallowing this information for too long. Seating herself next to you, she placed an arm around your shoulders as a point of comfort as you continued. “Omegas are weaker than Alphas and they live to obey their Alpha. To please them.”

The way you spoke those were words were robotic at best, your eyes shaded with pain and anxiety as your fingers fiddled restlessly in your shirt. Plumeria felt sick listening to it, it just wasn’t right, no person should be at the mercy of another because of a designation, and she said so, “You don’t actually think that, right? You’re not _lesser_ than anyone else, just because of some arbitrary symbol that appeared on your body.”

Your eyes turned towards her, and she was shocked to see the wry expression in them, something foreign before today and solidifying her belief that your designation meant nothing in the end. “You don’t know about the heats. Or that awful Alpha pressure that no one is as susceptible to as I am.”

She wants to protest, but arguing with you would probably be counterproductive, “Okay, tell me.”

“I get heats, like a…cat, or some other animal,” you can’t stop your face from flushing when you talk about it, it was beyond embarrassing to have someone else know about this part of you. It wasn’t as if you hadn’t talked about it, but any prior conversation of this aspect of you was always clinical and detached, “I’m not sure _why _it happens but every two to three months I have an insatiable…need to-ah…um.”

Yeah, Plumeria could catch your drift, it was quite an embarrassing detail about your life that was intimate to share, and she didn’t want to make you feel more awkward than you were, “I can connect the dots. Um, last question on this topic but, is this…need general or directed at a specific person?”

A startling blush, even more obnoxious than the flush that was already on your cheeks blossomed into existence as you mumbled, “Just…um…the Alpha.” Your mind was wandering, and you yanked it back into the present and away from the gray eyes that threatened to swallow you whole. 

She had promised the earlier question would be the last one, that was the only thing preventing her from shaking you and demanding if _the Alpha_ included the big Boss currently living in closer proximity to you. This was too big of a bomb dropped on this whole situation and it was clear to you what was running around in her mind, your lips quirked up into a small smile as you said, “As far as I understand, it only is directed to the Alpha that I recognize. It used to be the Alpha Lusamine, or it still is, I don’t know. Your Boss didn’t have much effect over me the first time I saw him because I only knew Lusamine as my Alpha.”

There were other questions, but for now she would be satisfied with everything you told her about these aspects of your designation. You didn’t seem particularly clear on your own designation, and from the faint inkling she could understand of your life in Aether, she could guess why. Perhaps the most important part of what you mentioned was this so-called ‘Alpha pressure’, if it is what she was thinking…she felt true pity.

“You mentioned something about the Alpha Pressure,” Plumeria made an effort to move the conversation to something else less sensitive, hopefully. “Could you describe it?”

Your forehead wrinkled, “As if something is stepping on my chest when they release this kind of power that makes me feel like prey being pinned down, and it feels like I can’t free myself from that grip.”

“You’re not alone in that feeling,” her hand moves to smooth through your hair, “Even I feel stifled by Guzma when he’s being overbearing, I think it has more to do with his intensity than wanting to pressure people around him.”

There was truth in that, he hadn’t used the pressure inherent in his designation to force you to do anything necessarily. It would leak out from time to time, but it seemed he tried to keep it in check around the rest of the kids and Plumeria unless his temper got the best of him. At least that was what you observed about him in the past few days, which was a comforting thought. “I hope so.”

Plumeria had other questions, more inquiries on the dynamic between these designations and the strange effect you seemed to have on Guzma. It seemed you were quite unclear on the softening that was visible to the eye to his closest friend since your arrival his bouts of all-consuming rage were nearly quieted. And the doting. If it wasn’t so obvious, she probably wouldn’t have bothered interrogating you about your designation.

Now to see if she could wrestle some answers from Guzma, there had to be something more than the one-way effect you were describing between Alphas and Omegas. Not only that, but your words gave her a better idea as to what your life was likely like in Aether, and the thought wasn’t pleasant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Another overdue chapter for all those waiting for a new update. Some world-building here, apologies if it's a little tedious but alas, it must be done. Next chapter shall be more guzma+reader oriented hehehe~!


	5. Shifty Gazes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suddenly or slowly, depending on how you looked at it, your place here had changed.

_. . . _

You went out a few times after the first, not every day since getting soaked and cold wasn’t the most pleasant experience, so you had a better feel around the fortified city. But every single time you did leave the Shady House, you relished in the feeling of being outdoors and not cooped up in your tiny room back in Aether.

It was becoming so much more obvious to you how much life was a burden in the white-walled island, no longer did thoughts of Lusamine make you remember the fleeting moments of her warmth. Even Aether itself failed to be thought of as home anymore.

You didn’t expect this realization to be so liberating, ever since your designation manifested, all you could think about was the Alpha and how to make her pleased with you. Thus, this newfound ability for you to simply ignore the basest parts of your Omega-ness was one of the true blessings in your life. Aether had been a never-ending cycle of your room and the lab, and your room had always been locked from the outside so there was no wandering about in the floating building. The days had melded into each other, and so you latched onto the only thing that would bring you out of its monotony, the President.

Even now you could understand why you pinned your entire being onto her, she was so charismatic and treated you so well when you were first brought to that place. Like a mother, you recalled, as she outfitted you in neat white dresses and white headpieces and let you stay in a luxurious bedroom made perfectly for a young girl. Even though he was the one who brought you to the place, Gladion was quite distant and you spend your days shadowing Lusamine around Aether.

That was until you turned sixteen when things had turned on their head in a way that you wouldn’t understand. Even though your memory only started from the day Gladion pulled you out from under a tumble of dirt and grass, you knew birthdays were special. You weren’t sure what exactly you said that changed everything, as far as you know you mentioned something about your past that upset Lusamine into a fit of rage, unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. And suddenly you were no more than an eyesore, stuffed into the furthest corner of the large building and left to live your life alone.

Your eighteenth birthday likewise inspired another earth-shaking transformation.

You’re not even sure what had happened when your designation manifested since the day was filled with discomfort, like millions of fire ants were crawling about beneath your skin and making your entire body damp with sweat. You were curled pathetically in your bed, willing your discomfort away and shelving the original plan to sneak to Lusamine’s office in hopes she wouldn’t be upset on your birthday.

Unbeknownst to you, she had known the exact moment your designation manifested because the President had sensed her Alpha instincts flare to an almost unbearable degree. There was a sickeningly sweet scent that permeated Aether, only thickening as time passed and making Lusamine feel sick. Confronted for the first time by a _heat_ as the researchers termed when it passed, you were confined to your room even as your body was screaming for some comfort that would never be provided.

There was something bizarre about this entire situation, and that was the absence of any non-platonic affection that you were after. All you could think about how lonely you were, was it too much to ask for someone to hold you close and tell you that everything was okay? Why wouldn’t Alpha Lusamine treat you as kindly as before? That’s all you ever wanted.

Three days passed before anyone dared to open your door, Lusamine could tell immediately when your _state_ had worn off and immediately ordered tests to be run on you. It was clear that there was something strange about you, and upon seeing the silver symbol at the base of your neck, things made began making sense.

An Omega, never seen before and suddenly the possibilities were endless. That was when your personal hell began. Not only were you now the bottom of the food chain, but you had to endure these reoccurring bouts of need, an extreme manifestation of your desire to be wanted and comforted by your recognized Alpha. But it was too bad that your Alpha was more interested in your designation and the possibility that Ultrabeasts could be modified with your genes to behave in the same way.

. . .

“Ouch,” you mumbled, nose bumping into somebody that you walked into as you wandered about the house, slightly out of sorts and lost in thought. “Sorry—” Your apology dies in your throat as your eyes move from the broad chest upwards to a mildly amused gray-eyed Alpha.

You back away slightly in surprise, still quite wary of this mostly absentee leader who rarely spent time around the Shady House. If he wasn’t in his room, he was out and bout in Alola with either a couple of the kids or Plumeria doing who knows what. Even though you know Team Skull isn’t exactly on the right side of things, you couldn’t help but to think that people here were infinitely better than anyone at Aether.

“You—you likin’ ya stay here?” The question comes as a surprise, making you shift your gaze from the ratty carpet to an awkward looking Guzma, “What I mean is—” His voice dies a little when your eyes meet his, deep and unfathomable yet inexplicably empty of emotion and making his breath hitch in his throat. “The brats treatin’ ya alright?” 

There’s a slightly puzzled expression on your face, head tilting as you slowly respond, “Yes. Po Town is quite lovely.” Even though you wouldn’t have said anything bad about the place in front of its Alpha, the words came from the heart. You may not have meant it in terms of the ramshackle building or the constant storming, but the warmth of the people that lived within was more than enough to make up for it.

A wry grin appears on his lips, “Lovely isn’t usually the first word people would use to describe this shithole, but I’ll take it. Usually, everyone’s too busy complainin’ how dirty this place is.” Guzma’s hand buries itself into his bleached hair, your eyes tracking the movement curiously and defences falling at the casual movement.

Given that this was the second time he’s taking the initiative to speak to you, there had been some wariness at first but the faintly playful undercurrent to his words put you at ease. A faint smile accompanies, “Personally I think this place is pristine compared to Aether.”

Your words strike a chord within Guzma, igniting the latent curiosity he held in regard to you; the comment was uncannily accurate depending on one’s perspective of the two organizations. This short sentence is the first time that he acknowledges you aren’t just a pawn to further his agenda. Although he never thought you were merely a chess piece, not like the way Aether thought of you anyway, it was difficult to reconcile the panicked animal you resembled to your quiet sensibility now.

He almost completely forgets about your intoxicating scent that swirled around the two of you.

The chuckle that rumbles lowly in Guzma’s chest sends a minuscule shiver down your spine as you appreciate the sound, small smile on your face. A large hand lands on your head, the same one that had one moment ago been in his, “Glad to hear it, a—glad to hear it.” He swallows back the endearment that had nearly slipped out, an almost imperceptible redness appearing on the apples of his cheeks. “See ya ‘round.”

And he retreats in a bit of hurry, all while you try to figure out why the top of your head still felt so warm after his hand had already left it. You don’t notice it, but your eyes had started to twinkle beneath the dim chandelier lights in a way that Plumeria had never seen before. It takes you a while to start moving, continuing on your original trajectory to the kitchen for the meetup with Lysu.

Even though you were supposed to feel excited about meeting up with your friend to snack on some biscuits nonetheless, your mind kept playing back the short interaction on repeat. The rich scent that emanated from the Team Skull Alpha seemed to cling to your nose, tempting and faintly soothing with its woodsy warmth.

. . .

“Whaddya want.” It wasn’t even a question, just a low growl as he stared at the screen of his laptop with rapt attention that was incongruent with the way he had been scrolling randomly through it. But Plumeria wasn’t about to call him out on it, not when this was exactly why she had made up her mind to talk to him.

“Ya know full well why I’m here,” she muttered, “Anything you wanna say before I start?” Her arms were crossed over her chest as she lounged with one leg extended on her chair, amber eyes staring a hole into the side of Guzma’s head.

“Shut up,” he closes his laptop when it’s clear he can’t put off the conversation anymore, “I’ll talk okay, you’re so annoying.”

Plumeria’s lips quirked up into a smirk, “And what would ya do without me?”

“Nothin’. You know I couldn’t do half o’ what I did without ya,” Guzma shrugs and turns so he’s facing his longest friend. She probably had something to tell him anyway, judging from the determination she was showing to dig out his innermost feelings.

“Good that ya know,” she snickers, lips pulled into an easy smile that hid the concern she felt deep within. “A couple of things we need to go through for this week includes the deal with Aether, our lil’ Omega, and who could forget about our ever-lessening budget.”

He wants to avoid talking about you for as long as he can, but he knows this behaviour would only alert Plumeria to his own jumbled emotions. Nonetheless, he addresses the easier topics first, “Aether’s requesting more psychic-types and eevees for some reason, the old deal’s still the same but bonuses for those things. I’ll tell the brats later ‘bout the change, you don’t worry about it.”

The amber-eyed woman raised her eyebrows, “Guess that kinda settles the budget issue if we’re getting’ bonuses from those things. Eevees are a pain in the ass though, too bad we can’t breed our own.”

A pregnant pause.

Guzma does not want to make eye contact with Plumeria’s knowing and most likely smug face and clears his throat, “So ‘bout the lil’ one. What’s the deal, ya got some info?” The question does very little to hide the curiosity he held, not to mention the fact that there was something soft in his voice when he referred to you.

But she wasn’t here to make his life more difficult than it already was, even if teasing him was a favoured pastime of hers. “Yeah, she told me a lot of it. Especially about her designation, you won’t believe some of the stuff she had to go through, Lusamine is an absolute grade A bitch.”

As she tells him verbatim what you had unveiled to her, the expression on Guzma’s face becomes colder and colder, eyes frosty as he considers what your life must’ve been like in that kind of hellhole. While he never believed Aether to be good, the treatment you endured there from what he’s hearing was unacceptable. The fury builds within his chest, an angry growl rumbling out of his throat when he thinks of the fear you faced at that time.

“How could those two-faced motherfuckers be so twisted, she was just a kid when that stuff happened,” his hands were buried into his hair, headache pounding and causing him to pull slightly at the strands. He swallows back the rest of his words; _she should’ve been with me_.

“There’s something else you should know,” Plumeria starts slowly, wondering what reaction he would have to this new information. “Her body or, y’know biology’s a lil’ different from us, at least from what she was saying. She seems to think that it’s her status as an Omega that makes her unable to disobey the Alpha she recognizes, that and that bit about ‘heats’.”

“…heats?” Plumeria is a bit preoccupied in kneading her forehead to notice the faint glint in her boss’ eyes that was accompanied by a hungry gulp.

Her voice seemed far away as it continued, “Some sorta sexual imperative to be close to the chosen Alpha is what I’m guessin’. She didn’t talk too much about it, poor thing was so embarrassed.” And by the time she looked back up at him, there was a slightly glazed expression on the white-haired Alpha’s face, one she should’ve expected to be on there.

Guzma was totally not conjuring up the image of you, red-faced and flushed delicately in a way that only made his appetite surge. He could almost taste the tears that threatened to spill from the moisture-filled eyes that glittered like raw gems filled with both want and embarrassment. What he wouldn’t give for just a taste of you…

His thoughts were only brought back to the present when Plumeria made a dramatic show of clearing her throat in a way that suggested this was likely closer to the fifth time than the first. His friend's gaze was very pointedly looking at the crotch of his pants and he didn’t have to check to know that his current state wasn’t fit for company. _Ugh_.

“Are you fourteen or something?” She asked sardonically, a teasing sparkle in her eyes as she looked at the mildly embarrassed expression on Guzma’s face. It wasn’t just every day she got to catch him at such a low point, so she was going to milk it for what it was worth. “I hope you’ll have a better _handle_ of yourself around her, if you touch a hair on her head, I will end you.”

“Noted.” What was wrong with him? Was his mind really so depraved that he would feel so strongly about you, someone who indicated nothing towards even being remotely interested? He really didn’t want to know the answer to that question considering there was a small part of his brain still indulging in his earlier fantasy.

“She’s got a real hold on ya, don’t she?” The question is obviously rhetorical and not without its reservation, “I’m surprised you’re so calm about this, ya obsession with control not feelin’ usurped these days?”

Guzma shakes his head slowly, “I barely spend any time at all here, and even when I’m ‘round she doesn’t even show up most times. No point in gettin’ too worked up about it, there’s no stoppin’ whatever’s happening.” He doesn’t give voice to it, but the reality was that he was surprisingly calm about this, the restlessness he usually felt seemed to have been silenced knowing you were here in the Shady House.

He knew it would sound ridiculously territorial and undeniably possessive, but this hinged on the secure knowledge that you were here, and no other Alpha knew. You were his by default, at least for now. 

. . .

The house was strangely quiet today, the night prior had been filled with the panicked rushing of nearly all the residents and a late night for everyone involved. You had been so worried about Pip and Lysu, both much too late from whatever they were doing out and about in Alola. When they had finally returned, a fuming Guzma and exhausted Plumeria shielding them like overprotective hawks circling their drenched chicks who while a little banged up but for the most part okay. You let out a breath of relief when the two settled in their bunks and went to sleep swiftly after being bandaged; you were unaware of what exactly happened, but it was clear that whoever caused this would be facing the wrath of both Plumeria and Guzma. An unenvious fate to be sure. 

You suppose it was still dreadfully early and being that everyone had only been able to settle down in the wee hours of four in the morning, you were surprised you were even awake. But there had been something that jolted you from your slumber and drove you to be completely restless, forcing you from your bed and pulling you to explore what should’ve been a fast-asleep building.

The kitchen is empty to your surprise, expecting a person there as the source of the noise that roused you. A quiet thump sounds from the opposite end of the large mansion, a disquiet feeling in your chest appears as you begin running in that direction without thought of what you might find. There was just this urgency that propelled you forward until…nothing.

The hallway was void of absolutely anything, it was as if the earlier sound had been a trick of the mind preying on your overshot nerves. Just as you were about to turn back and head back to your shared room with Plumeria, you hear it again a subtle thump coming from…outside?

You know this probably isn’t going to be your brightest idea, but you are undeniably curious, and you’ve been reassured multiple times that Po Town was safe. Plumeria wouldn’t be too mad at you if you just went to check on a noise outside, you reasoned, and this leads you to open up the heavy metal door a small crack. You don’t see anything besides pouring rain which pushes you to create a larger opening, enough for you to slip through and into the downpour. Keeping close to the wall to avoid getting too wet, your slipper clad feet feeling the coolness of the ground already.

You hear yet another thump followed by an angry growl, “You fuckers really thought you were doin’ something, huh? Don’t ya dare try to get smart with me, not now, not _ever_.”

It’s the Alpha’s, you correct yourself, Guzma’s voice coming from behind the Shady House and it was clear he wasn’t alone. There’s a part of you that tells you that you should just head back to bed and pretend you weren’t sneaking around but you can’t deny that you want to know who was behind Pip’s Squad’s run-in with danger. You dart closer to the corner and peek past it to see the Team Skull Boss glaring harshly at two Team Skull members, a girl and guy from another squad that was sent with Pip to accomplish their task that day.

“I’ll give you two seconds to answer this question,” he loomed menacingly over the two of them as they cowered back into the wall, “Did you plan on the League findin’ Pip’s team? For ya sake, don’t lie if you wanna leave here in one piece.” The threat is punctuated by a dangerous smirk on his face, predatory and promising nothing but danger.

“We didn’t! We swear, we just ran when the cops came bustin’ down,” the boy replied quickly, eyes darting to his friend as he continued, “We didn’t think that Pip and the other’s wouldn’t run, we had no idea that they would almost get captured.”

Guzma stalked closer to them eyeing the carefully as he drew closer, hunching over so he could level them with a searching gaze that turns sharp as they land on the girl’s face, “Ya not tellin’ me something. Don’t think you’ll be able to get off by hidin’ anything from me if ya still wanna be a part of Team Skull.”

“No, no, no,” she blubbered incoherently as she shook her head, “I didn’t know anything, I swear! It was just an accident; I didn’t do anything.” But she was too scared to even lift her head to face the indisputable Alpha of this Team.

He stepped away slightly before the sound of the storm was interrupted by a cold command, “Kneel.” As if puppets awaiting their order, the two teens drop to their knees onto the cold grass, heads handing low in both fear and shame as they waited for his next order.

“Everything Arden, you tell me everything that went through your little mind yesterday. Do not miss a detail,” your breath catches in your throat at the way each word ends in a snarl, his gray eyes flashing with something resembling bloodlust.

She had overheard the day before that there would be a patrol in the area but failed to inform Pip’s squad of this information. Not as a ploy to damage the team, but simple inability to remember this crucial bit of info to pass it on. She and her friend had bolted at the first sign of someone in the distance because of the rekindling of her memory in that moment, however, she failed to tell the rest of the team why she was running.

The fury mounted in Guzma’s chest quieted slightly when hearing this information, still infuriating but at least there wasn’t a rat in his team. That was the last thing he needed, especially with you still living here. He mutters lowly, “Raise your heads.”

Two fearful faces look up at him, damp with a mixture of what must have been tears and rain making them look even more pathetic and sorry than they already seemed. They watched the smoothening of their boss’ features into something less scary and more stern as he spoke, “You never do this again, any information containing League operations is to be shared with everyone here. You do not turn tail and run without making sure ya family is safe, got it? We only got each other, so if ya don’t wanna be part of this family the door’s right there.”

The two young adults nod like a pair of bobbleheads as Guzma signs and waves his hand dismissively, “Get the fuck out of here.” They didn’t need to be told twice as they nearly sprint all the way back to the Shady House, not even noticing you were there at the corner in their haste to run back inside. Then again, even if they did see you it wouldn’t have made them pause in their mad dash into relative safety, anyone who was mildly familiar with the Boss knew at this time it was best to be as far away as possible.

You hesitated, just watching his lone figure in the rain eerily still and silent save for the splatter of rain against the ground, your emotions were in turmoil. Why weren’t you scared of him? Granted, being near him while he seemed so upset did make you wary, you weren’t fearful in the way you felt whenever a scientist came to collect you from your room. There was even a part of you that wanted to reach out to him and ask him if he was okay.

Your eyes followed his figure as it stepped closer to the house, your breath catching in your throat as you thought he was about to head in your way to return to the house. But he didn’t. He slowly walked towards the flaking wall and rested his forehead against the rough surface as if in defeat, time stood still until his voice forced it to move once more, “Useless.”

“Fuckin’ useless piece of shit.” No sooner than the vulgarity slipped out of his lips, his hands had wound themselves into his hair as they wrenched fiercely, “How is Team Skull going to survive like this, not when there’re twits like that in here.”

A harsh kick was launched against the brittle walls, followed by consecutive punches that likely broke the skin on his knuckles, “Why the fuck did I let them in? I shoulda known better. _Useless_.” He couldn’t even protect his team, his family, how was he supposed to protect you? No sooner than this thought appeared, a warm hand startled him from his self-destructive explosion.

He whips his gaze to his side where a small hand rested on his forearm, exuding enough heat to make him shiver almost as badly as the sight of you did. Your face was turned toward him, the gentle expression on your graceful features that hid nothing and only showed quiet concern. You looked ethereal in the dim lighting, wreathing your figure in a faint mist that made you seem like you came from another world and only an illusion to tempt him. The scent he had come to associate with you, magnolias and ripe mangoes fluttered in the air around the two of you, dancing teasingly on his tongue.

“Are you okay?” The question hangs in the air delicately, the words barely making past your lips as you drowned in those gray eyes that held a tempest of emotions. You weren’t even sure what you were doing, but you knew that you wanted to comfort him in the same way you wanted to provide warmth to Pip, Plumeria, or anyone of your friends. It was clear that he was hurting in some way, you somehow knew that his earlier burst of anger hadn’t been necessarily directed at the two young Team Skull members.

It had been in part directed at himself.

Perhaps this hadn’t been a good idea, your mind suggests on the verge of a panicked scream as the silence stretched longer. You wanted to look away, but his gaze was absolutely magnetic, and you could not bear to tear yourself away, especially not with his scent began making itself more obvious the longer you stood so close. He seemed not to have heard you the first time and so you lift your other hand to lightly tap at his chest where his heart lay, “Are you okay?”

You don’t even have time to blink before you’re enfolded within his arms, his large frame dwarfing your smaller one as he held you tightly to his chest, cheek resting against his damp shirt. You’re too shocked at first to think anything, never mind do anything about the situation and soon your brain completely shut down because his head bent down to nuzzle gently at your shoulder. As if drawn to something, his face is buried deeply in the crook of your neck as he takes a deep inhale, the sensation ticklish as he slowly breathes out.

Your body begins to slowly loosen against his, you don’t know how this came about, but you weren’t going to push him away. Some part of your brain was savouring the oaky fragrance that enveloped you, and you couldn’t really deny that you felt warm here and even safe, something you hadn’t felt in a long time. The silence drew on until Guzma gasps loudly against the skin of your neck and flinches away so quickly that he almost gave himself whiplash.

His brain was finally starting to function, and he was totally not freaking out about this entire situation because he was pretty sure he straight up grabbed you without even knowing if you were okay with it. Although from the way your eyes were looking at him quizzically, he concluded you weren’t too upset by his actions, but his arms still fell away and gently pushed you from him. Not that having you so close was in any way bad, but things would no doubt get awkward later if you continued to be pressed against him like that.

You were a little confused, but you supposed the hug was going to end sometime. Your eyes traced his profile and lingered slightly on the redness of his cheeks, the sight making your heart flutter unexpectedly. His gaze is undeniably calm with a hint of gentleness as he speaks quietly, “Thanks, uh, I hope I didn’t make ya feel bad with the um, thing I did.” He gestures with his arms as if too embarrassed to give words to the earlier events that had just transpired.

“You’re welcome. I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” and you don’t even know where it came from, but you reached up on your toes to pat his fluffy white head, “We need our Alpha to be just as great as he has been.” You want to run away and hide immediately after the words left your lips, _what was wrong with you?_ He didn’t ask for your opinion, and in your panic, you don’t even look back at him before darting your way back into the Shady House.

Guzma watched your retreating figure with a gaze void of anything really as he reached his own hand to where yours had ruffled the damp strands. Was this payback for what he had done to you before? But even the battle-hardened Alpha couldn’t deny that his fury had melted away to be replaced by something too warm and fuzzy to be considered appropriate for a gang leader.

You were doing to be the death of him.

. . .

In the past few days, you’ve seen more of Guzma than the entire month you’ve spent at the Shady House, the home base of the infamous Team Skull. It was a little strange, really, since it wasn’t as if he was spending more time within Po Town. In reality, he was probably spending less and less time here as the days drew on; Plumeria didn’t let much slip but it seems that their funds were beginning to run dry. Even if you wanted to help out, no one would hear a word of it and shut you down before you could even bring anything up.

It was a little hurtful if you were completely honest with yourself. It stung that they clearly didn’t think that you were one of them, or even worse, you were just a prisoner that they didn’t trust to let out. But they should know by now that you would never abandon them, and especially not for Aether of all places.

You huffed, annoyed at the entire situation. Perhaps you could ask if Guzma would be willing to make you an honorary member or something, it would do wonders for that part of you that always yearned to be a part of a family. You never realized how much you had craved this simple feeling of being accepted as you were until you finally had it. The knowledge that these people knew you yet wanted you around had begun shifting something within you, changing you in a noticeable way.

Reflecting back to your heats back in Aether, you wondered if that was what you had been wishing for when they first appeared. You had so badly desired being wanted by your Alpha that it triggered this internal dynamic of your body, dramatizing your suffering in hopes your wishes would be granted. They never were, and perhaps that’s why you hadn’t had one even though you had missed Lusamine and Aether the first few weeks.

However, these days it seemed your mind had been preoccupied with another Alpha because you were increasingly sensitive to his presence and voice. Your mind often drifted back to that early morning, the vulnerable expression in his eyes when he pulled away from the embrace and the desperate way, he held you against him. You couldn’t help but feel flustered even though a week had passed without him ever mentioning the incident to you.

Even though he didn’t say much, his subtle acknowledgement of your presence whenever he noticed you was surprising, to say the least. Before he would just brush by you as if you were an inconsequential mass that sometimes got in the way, but now there were greetings and direct glances whenever the two of you passed by the other.

Taking comfort in this change, you decide that the next time the two of you spoke you would ask him about helping the team out. Yes, you could definitely do this even if the constant scowl on his face made you feel like you were standing on spikes.

. . .

You severely overestimated your bravery; this is the thought that you had as you wrote down the things you wanted to say to Guzma on a sticky note in preparation for the ‘audition’ you had with him tomorrow. Plumeria had a field day with your timid request that she schedule a meeting with him for you a couple of days ago, pinching your cheeks and telling you how precious you were. You personally didn’t see it as charming as she so clearly did, you were way too nervous to bring up the topics to him whenever you bumped into each other in the Shady House.

He never asked anything beyond, “How ya doin’?” and you usually just stiffly answered before slinking away because he made you nervous. Thankfully, it wasn’t in a way that originated from fear for your wellbeing, but rather in an ‘I have no idea what I should be saying to make this conversation less awkward’ way. And you didn’t want to annoy him.

So, this would be a good solution you decided, a structured conversation has less room for any terrible mishaps, and this is what you’re banking on. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a single member of Team Skull who wasn’t a danger to structure, which you should’ve known given your familiarity with them. However, this didn’t stop the train wreck of tomorrow happening.

“Um, I had a few things I wanted to ask you about,” you say as soon as you walk into the room, not even looking up from the small note in your hands. Words were tumbling out of your mouth non-stop, “Is there any way I could help Team Skull, I know you probably don’t want me as a member, but I feel quite guilty that I just sit here while everyone has to go out and work. It would be nice if I could do more than just do some loose sweeping here and there. I know this is kind of a lot and you definitely think that I’m overstepping, but I really do want to help everyone out since everyone has been so nice to me. Even if I’m a prisoner, I still feel like I should contribute something—”

The feeling of a large pair of hands coming down onto your shoulders halts your rambling, “You ain’t no prisoner. At least we stopped thinking like that a week after ya showed up here.” Your eyes stare up into his, surprise the only emotion within them as you search his face for any inclination that he may just be saying that to placate you.

Although, if your brain had been functioning you would remember that Guzma never says anything simply to placate someone, especially if it wasn’t true. But you couldn’t help but to ask, “Really? So if I wanted to leave, you would just let me go?”

The quiet sensitivity of your voice as you asked was enough to tip him off to what the right answer would be, “Yeah, if ya really wanted. The brats and their mama bird would miss ya though.” His hands returned to the pockets of his baggy sweats as he shrugged easily, feigning nonchalance in place of the wild panic he felt at the thought of you leaving. His attachment was truly frightening.

“Where would I even go without everyone,” you laughed softly, the mind once more returning to the request that you had made, “I want to be here, and I want to help make sure that things will be okay.”

There are wry chuckles and words that make you flinch in response to your feelings, “You probably don’t wanna be part of what we do. I ain’t sayin’ we do evil things, but it probably is fo’ the best you ain’t part of it.” He sees the disappointment in your face and before he can stop himself, he continues, “But if ya wanna see the rest of Alola, just lemme know. We’ll bring ya out some time to have some fun.”

Your smile could probably power the sun for a thousand years, but you couldn’t help it. The idea was too foreign a concept, go around Alola? In the sun? With your friends? Without even thinking about it you had launched yourself onto Guzma with a hug that lasted all of two seconds before you left the room to share the news with your friends.

But the white-haired Alpha stayed rooted in his spot, mind still somewhat short-circuited from your impulsive action. Even though all his responses had been calculated to make you feel more attached to Team Skull, he couldn’t deny that he meant most of it. As he sagged back into this throne, he wondered if this was really a good idea, you were growing on him and everyone else. You weren’t a captive, bargaining chip, or even partner.

You had begun to feel like family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Don't be too shocked that I'm back so early. I'm sure you can guess why that may be, apologies if the chapter is a bit rushed idk when was the best time to end it lol. Please stay safe, wishing you the best in these turbulent times. Hopefully, I'll post more often and distract you from your worries ;)


	6. Unwelcome Policing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unwanted visitor, returning memories, and your first glimpse of Alolan sun with Guzma by your side.

. . .

You were outside again, raincoat on while you walked around the abandoned town on your lonesome after feeling bored at being cooped inside for the past few days. Even though no one explicitly told you that you weren’t allowed outside without anyone else, you still avoided doing so to avoid worrying Plumeria who hovered constantly. In all honesty, you didn’t even feel too much of a desire to be out by yourself even if the air was crisper, the lack of company made it off-putting.

But you had been quite bored since most of Team Skull had moved out for their weekly supplies run which meant the entirety of Po Town was pretty much empty save for Guzma who was recovering from a nasty run-in with a professor two days ago. The only reason you were even outside was that you had volunteered to be watching over the Pokémon Centre this morning until the rest of the kids were back. You didn’t relish being in the dark building by yourself, however, you felt happy that you were able to contribute in some small way.

The rain came down just as harshly today as it did any day, blurring your vision and chilling you through your coat and now damp shoes. Even though you didn’t dislike the rain, you couldn’t help but to wish for some sun to break up this monotony, and the added heat promised also didn’t hurt. The thought sends a guilty twang through you as you push the door to the unlocked Pokémon Centre open with a long creak.

It seems strange that you were at a point where it was okay to want for more than just being okay, some more food, and a little more of Lusamine’s attention. As each day passed, you wondered whether or not that life you led there in that untouchable haven was any life at all, in the last years there you felt nothing more than an empty husk. Time here has told you clearly that your life there was nothing more than a sham, a pale imitation to what being alive was supposed to be.

A happy smile appeared on your face as you leaned against the large countertop, your days had been filled with banter, inside jokes, and a warm feeling of being accepted as you were. Your designation had less and less bearing when you interacted with others, there were even times when you forgot completely about it and your friends would have none of your insistence that you were somehow less. Even the memories made you feel warm and tingly on the inside.

_Plunk._

The sound startles you from your daydreaming, heart jumping to your throat as you scan the empty area of the source of the sound. When you see nothing, you’re able to calm down and realize that the sound didn’t seem to come from inside at all, it rather sounded more like something hitting the outside of the building. The wind outside often swept up pebbles that would hit the buildings within Po Town, so you didn’t put too much thought in it. Until it sounded again.

You could feel your heart jump to your throat, fear encroaching on your once calm mind as you tried to reason with your paranoid thoughts. _It’s probably nothing_. And honestly, it probably was actually nothing, but you needed to confirm for yourself that it was the case. Which was what led you to discover the depressed little blob of purple goo that had plastered itself insistently to the door of the run-down centre.

The low croon that came from the small creature made your heart twist in your chest, the poor thing looked absolutely exhausted and you didn’t hesitate to herd it into the building. It was a little skittish, however, it seemed that the temptation of rest and somewhere relatively safe was too strong. You had wanted to put the little guy into the machine but being that you had no Pokéballs on your body you simply got out a couple of old shirts to make some rendition of a bed. “Sorry, that'll be it. The place is pretty empty, I’ll see if I can get you something to eat.”

However, when you made the motion to leave, the distressed whine that came from the clump of clothing and purple goo made you halt your steps as you glance back. The exhausted Pokémon was struggling and trying to move to where you were standing as if unwilling to see you outside. Upon seeing this, you are unwilling to just leave and crouch beside the bundle, you couldn’t help but to gently stroke it and the curious texture the Pokémon seemed to have. Your touch seemed to have a mildly soothing effect the purple blob gurgled softly and leaned into your hand.

It didn’t take long for it to fall asleep, clearly exhausted and nursing wounds that you couldn’t really see. Wandering back towards the counter, you looked around for anything that could be used to help the little guy and only came up with a half-used bottle of potion. If this would fix them up, you could bring them into the Shady House and ask Plumeria what you should do with the thing.

Trying your best to wake it up, you leaned over its still sleeping form and gently sprayed the rest of the potion onto the purple blob to hear a gentle hum of comfort that indicated that at least some effect was felt. There wasn’t really anything else you could do at this point except wait it out, which is what you did sitting with your legs dangling off the orange counter. However, just as you were about to settle in, the sound of Po Town’s gates grinding open resounded in the air even though you were inside.

You were on high alert once more because you were absolutely sure that no one was supposed to be returning so early, and upon checking the Pokégear given to you by Plumeria, there was no message saying they were coming back. The chances that this _wasn’t_ Team Skull was high, and you could feel your hands beginning to shake.

Your mind was beginning to work overtime, trying to figure out what was the best course of action to take and deciding to first send a message to Guzma in case this was indeed Team Skull and you were just overthinking. Even though you wanted to go outside yourself to check, it probably wasn’t the best idea given the possibility that it simply wasn’t going to be friendly company. You weren’t ready to deal with outsiders when you had no way of protecting yourself.

Especially if they wanted to take you away from Po Town. Your heart chilled quickly and as carefully as you could, you scooped up the hurt Pokémon and ducked behind the broken-down café area. Hopefully, the heaps of cardboard boxes would help keep the two of you hidden.

It didn’t take long for you to hear the doors of the Pokémon Centre slide open ominously; the quiet whirring was followed by a cluster of footsteps that implied at least three people. A voice breaks the silence, a foreign one that was low and raspy, “Kids, if your Pokémon ain’t here you best be hightailing it. You don’t want to get on Team Skull’s nerves. I’ll be heading back, leave if you can’t find that Goomy in the next fifteen minutes.”

That voice was unsettling in the way that it scratched along your nerves as if toying with the clearly younger individuals shuffling through the Centre that suddenly felt so much smaller than you remembered. It made you incredibly uncomfortable to say the least, something instinctual rising within you to tell you that this voice must belong to an…_Alpha_. You felt as each heartbeat battered against your ribs, praying that they would leave quickly, and you could return to the safety of the Shady House.

Even though the mutterings of the cluster of teens were slightly muffled, you could still make out, “That silly Goomy better be ‘round here, can’t believe he wouldn’t recognize me after just two days.” The bundle in your arms shivered at the sound of this voice, trying to burrow itself deeper into your embrace in a bid for more security. You dared to fish out your Pokégear in hopes that someone had seen your message and would tell you what to do, you shut your eyes and prayed for them to go further into the Centre.

This would give you the chance to leave this cramped place and back to the Shady House where you would have the support of your Alpha, especially with a strange Alpha lurking about. Your breaths were shallow as you waited and waited for the footsteps to fade into the darker corners of the Centre before you braved a look around. The coast seems mostly clear and you clutch your bundle a little closer as you slowly began weaving through the boxes towards the exit.

You let out a sigh of relief when the doors slide open near silently, hurriedly turning right and getting ready to sprint as quickly as you could when a hand clamps down onto your wrist. In the next moment, your back is pressed against the cool metal of the Centre’s wall while a pair of glowing red eyes met yours.

“What’ve we got ‘ere?” The question is suspiciously light as you cringe away from the clear Alpha pressure emanating from what appeared to be an older male. While he wasn’t exactly crowding you in, there was a definitive cornering aspect to the way he stood as a cold frown appeared on his lips. “You weren’t one of the kids I brought here.”

His hand tightened on the wrist he was holding you, however, you muffle the cry of surprise and pain and try your best to make eye contact. You try to tug your arm from his hold, but there seems to be little chance of him letting go and only further making you feel trapped. A shiver ran down your spine as your lips parted, wanting to ask anything that would prevent you from feeling so overpowered.

But before you could speak, the purple blob had let out a quiet croon of concern that drew the red-eyed Alpha’s attention, his gaze shifting to the Goomy resting in your arms. “W-who are you?”

“Hm,” he leaned back slightly, confusion clouding his expression as he re-evaluated this situation, taking note of the lack of Team Skull attire on your being as well as the fearful expression on your face. “There’re only a handful of people who wouldn’t recognize me. Interesting. That Goomy is yours?”

You hold the Pokémon a little closer to you, wanting to just disappear and not have to deal with this all on your lonesome, “It was hurt, I just patched it up a little.” As if angry at the older male, the Goomy gurgles angrily at the object of your discomfort causing him to chuckle lowly in amusement.

“I see.” Just as he was about to leave, a particularly strong gust of wind sent your damp hair fluttering in the wind along with your distinct scent. A shift was visually perceptible in the Alpha’s eyes as he drank in what he knew to be your scent, telling him you were no Beta as he had simply assumed. That was when you realized you would be in trouble if you stayed any longer, “…Who are you.”

It was a demand, his words forceful and your mind was convinced that you were supposed to answer even if you wanted to do no such thing. It wasn’t fair that you had to listen to this strange Alpha’s demands but there was a part of you that knew you weren’t supposed to disobey an Alpha’s order. But you really didn’t know who you were, and your skull felt like it was about split open the further it reached into the blank abyss of your memories. _Remember_. Why can’t you remember anything? Your vision began to blur, body going slack before you’re brought close to something warm, a soft touch to your cheek that soothed your panicking mind.

“It’s alright darlin’, I got ya.” The familiar voice paired with that familiar oaky fragrance was enough to tell you that everything would be okay. You were safe here; this was someone you trusted, and your Alpha would take care of you. Just as your consciousness faded into oblivion, a thinly veiled threat sounded into the storming air.

“If you don’t get the _fuck_ outta here, you won’t be leaving at all.”

. . .

Guzma was having the worst day in a while, absolutely nothing could really measure up to the mess that he had gotten himself into but even if he had the chance to do everything over…yeah no. He’d still sock that idiot officer in the face in a heartbeat. Even if it wasn’t intentional, what he did to you was unforgivable and seeing the way your face was scrunched in pain even while unconscious only fueled the fire.

“What did you do?” There was a deep fury in those stormy gray eyes that stared directly at Nanu, someone he had once considered neither friend nor foe. But now, “The hell didja do to her?” But there was only surprise on the older police officer’s face as he stared at your unconscious figure clutched carefully by Guzma.

“Who is she.” Was the only reply given, as his gaze flickered back to the Team Skull leader with a cold calculation in his eyes. He was clearly suspicious and the fact his attention was so trained to you made it clear that he knew more than he was saying at the moment. “She’s no Beta.”

That statement sent Guzma into high alert, it was too soon. No one was supposed to know about you just yet, not when Aether hasn’t been unmasked for what it truly was, you would be in danger if Lusamine found out this was where you had been staying. Unknowingly, he held you slightly tighter, “And what’s it to you? She’s got nothin’ to do with you, especially after what ya did to her.”

“The League will have to know about this,” Nanu backed down slightly, knowing that any more pressing would likely be too dangerous for what the reward might be. The way Guzma’s fingers were twitching in the direction of his Pokéballs indicated just how close he was to acting. Even if he was curious, and his Alpha-side was more than just _curious_, he was intruding on Team Skull’s territory and overstaying his welcome would likely result in a fight.

Guzma watched as the older Alpha disappears past the open gates of Po Town and doesn’t begin the trek back to the Shady House until Nanu is completely out of eyesight and the gates began sliding closed. His eyes sweep across your pain-filled face, chest feeling tight with worry as he wonders what happened to you. Either way, no one was going to lay a finger on you if he had anything to say about it.

. . .

Plumeria was uncharacteristically silent as she sat next to Guzma who was still holding you in his arms, even if they ached after so long. The first time he tried to put you down in order to call Plumeria to update her on the developments, you had cried out in pain and thrashed violently as if trying to fight off something terrifying. It was only after he gathered you close while murmuring wordless comforts that you had quieted, burying your face into the junction of his neck. And that was the last time he had put you down.

“Well the kids we found in the Centre are surprisingly calm about being caught, and they don’t seem to be lookin’ for any trouble, just somethin’ about a Goomy.” Plumeria breaks the lull first and reaches over to gently stroke your hair, “But we ain’t seen a Goomy round these parts in ages, they’ll leave tomorrow when we open the gate again.”

“Has Gladion contacted you about his extraction?” Guzma’s question catches his long-time friend off-guard and it takes her a moment to reply the negative. His eyebrows furrow over narrowed eyes, “Things are guaranteed to blow up with Aether in the next few days, he should get outta there as soon as possible if the deal is still on. Not to mention the League, they’ll definitely take a side if Aether and Team Skull decided to duke it out.”

“We don’t wanna have to deal with Aether and the League, the best thing to do would probably be gettin’ her in contact with the League,” Guzma smoothed a hand down your back in a comforting motion that was almost second nature, “And I don’t think those goody-two-shoes over on there would be so forgivin’ if they knew what kinda shit she had to go through.”

As if you could sense yourself as the topic of discussion, you shifted slightly and rubbed your face against the skin of his neck, not unlike an affectionate kitten or puppy wanting some attention. If it wasn’t such an embarrassing thought, he would have admitted that he could feel his insides turn to absolute mush at the action. However, Plumeria knew him well enough to read the uncharacteristic gentleness in his face and smothered back a giggle at how transparent he was being.

“Ya know why she’s still out?” There was a trace of anger in her voice as she recalls the explanation given by Guzma, finding you swaying on your feet as you were cornered by Nanu. You had spent so much time unwilling under an Alpha’s oppression, how dare he do something like this?

The gray-eyed Alpha only shakes his head, “No, but she keeps fidgeting and murmuring weird things. I think she’s havin’ dreams or something, her temperature and breathing all seem fine. I just can’t wake her up.”

Plumeria shakes her head, “I hope she wakes soon, don’t wanna plan anythin’ without her there. You got the feelin’ that things are gonna get wild? ‘Cause I sure as hell do, and I’ve yet to make a mistake with my intuition.”

There’s only a tired sigh in response to her words, which works well enough as an agreement because he knew too well that your presence in Alola meant something larger than could be predicted. Even if he knew that there was part of you that drew him innately, he couldn’t help but think that you were just as fascinating disregarding _that_ aspect.

Your infrequent outbursts of excitement and calm rationality seemed to smoothen out the rougher aspects of his personality the longer he spent in your presence. He wasn’t sure how exactly to describe the relationship between the two of you, but he knew that it was something to cherish.

. . .

“Sweetie, are you finally awake?” The voice is filled with untold familiarity, warm with love as your eyes opened to see a face you can’t believe you’ve forgotten. “The farm isn’t going run itself.” The kind and sweet face of your mother stares back at you as you move to throw your arms around her. Except you can’t, your body isn’t following your orders and you can only watch as your voice replies.

“But I don’t wanna! It’s too sunny,” your voice is strange and familiar all the same, it’s too high and childish to be yours any longer. And that’s when you realize that this was no simple dream, this must be a memory. One of those elusive memories that you had been chasing for years now, and you can consciously feel that things are suddenly becoming clearer and brighter in the darker regions of your mind.

“It’s always sunny here in Alola,” a hand smoothed your sleep-rumpled hair, voice filled with amusement as you rubbed your face in an effort to actually wake up. “Would it still be Alola without the sun? Besides, I seem to remember you were quite excited about today…hm?”

A dark-haired boy came to mind’s eye, and suddenly you remember something quite critical that you’ve forgotten. Your entire childhood had finally become rushing back, and you revel in the warmth and comfort of a family that you had thought to be lost forever in your mind. You knew that you had a family, however, the fact that you couldn’t recall a single thing about them made it difficult to validate their existence.

You watch yourself go through the motions of getting up before peering outside to see the lush berry farm you lived on with your family. The ripe berries all seemed to glisten in the hot Alolan sun, juicy and inviting to a lot of Pokémon and especially Crabtrawlers. When you’re finally ready to leave your room, a small green Pokémon appears waddling through the open door and affectionately nudging your leg.

“Alright, I’ll hurry up. Not everyone likes being out in the sun as much as you,” you grumble as you tug on clothing and descend the stairs in a flurry of limbs and happy laughter with the Bulbasaur attached to your side. The berry farm is familiar and just as lovely as it always was as you wove your way through the bushes and trees, stopping once in a while to pluck at the stray weed here and there.

It was perfect weather, you concluded as you stood beneath a tall tree laden with fruit and studied the way the sunlight dappled through the leaves. Your mind darting back towards your mother’s words, _it’s always sunny here in Alola_, turning them over as you recall what she told you.

About Po Town. About the curse. Your family had been intricately entangled within that tragedy, that much you knew from the stories that your mother had told you since you were but a little girl. Your great-grandmother had who fled Po Town dedicated her life to breaking that curse, however upon years of failure decided to settle here on Melemele with the berry farmer who had aided her search. But as years went by the curse became distant and unimportant compared to this home created to last for generations.

Breathing in the rich soil and berry-sweet air, you let out a happy laugh before plopping yourself onto the ground next to where your Bulbasaur was nibbling an Oran berry. “Better than last season’s?” The affirmative nod was enough to make you clap joyfully and pluck a berry for yourself to sample, and you can confirm that your berries are better this year.

“Didja save some for me, Lil’ one?” Even just hearing his voice causes your face to split into a bright grin, eyes sparkling as you wave at the dark-haired boy that appeared from behind a Pecha tree. Shaggy black hair hanging about messily on his forehead and lips twisted into a teasing grin as he saunters to where you were sitting.

But still you start frowning when you hear the use of your nickname, “I’m not _little_. I’m turning nine soon! You’re not even that much older than me…” However, the only response you get is a hand that ruffles your hair carelessly, while you make a face at the sensation.

“Whatever ya say,” he reaches around you to pluck a dark blue berry from the bush and pops the fruit in his mouth, “Mmm. Not bad.”

“You think so?” The eagerness of your voice was completely transparent, hands fluttering in the air as you describe what you did differently this year compared to the last. “I was sure this fertilizer would be better for the Oran berries, and not to mention all the weeding I did.”

“I wouldn’t be so happy so early, basically anything would be better than those nasty berries from last year. Not even ya Bulbasaur would lay a tongue on those things,” he couldn’t help it, it seemed that teasing you was simply just a part of his blood and seeing you puff up because of him was endlessly amusing.

But you simply kick him in the shin, “Dummy. Then you’re not getting another berry from me or from our farm, hmph.” A slightly devious grin appeared on your youthful face as you stomp away as he followed behind pleading for some mercy, knowing that the chances you might follow through were surprisingly high.

“I’m sorry, geez. Don’t have to take it so seriously,” he grumbles out when he sees that you aren’t budging but not before reaching over and flicking you lightly on the forehead. “You’re just a lil’ terror aren’t ya?”

The impish grin he gets in response indicates your utter unrepentance, “Are you seriously calling me little again? I better make sure your share of Pecha Pie is given to someone _better_.”

You wonder if this was who you were, this child that had glowed with playfulness and fearlessness compared to the way you were now. This was someone unrecognizable, however, you cannot deny that these were your memories and your childhood. Your time before Aether was no longer blocked out and the influx of memories was congruent with this one.

Was this you?

. . .

Your eyelids felt like they’ve been glued shut from the effort needed to open your eyes, not to mention your body felt like it had gone through the most agonizing workout of your life. Your limbs felt like lead and even moving your head around to figure out where you were was a struggle in of itself. You were inside obviously, and likely in the Shady House being that Guzma had been the last thing you could remember before completely losing consciousness.

It was dark though, which meant it was likely already nighttime and from the way you were lying down, you could affirm that you were probably in a bed. Except there was a glaring difference now than all those other nights you had spent here. You were currently draped over something—or rather _someone_ given that they were giving off enough body heat to power a furnace which you leeched quite happily off of. It doesn’t take much for you to identify that familiar blend of oak and that tinge of something mouth-watering that you had once thought was earth. The scent was heady and addicting, inadvertently causing you to bury your nose deeper into the junction of Guzma’s neck.

Even you know that you would have felt some sort of apprehension initially, somehow you were completely at ease with your Omega instincts surprisingly silent and content. You didn’t have the energy to completely digest what you were feeling, but as your eyes drifted shut you knew you were _safe_.

. . .

You couldn’t really deny that this entire situation was quite awkward, not that you made an effort to try to ease the awkward air that hung between the two of you. However, you couldn’t really look him in the eye after everything that’s happened, embarrassment and timidity forces too strong for you to overcome at this moment. Things were going by too quickly, the situation changing before you could even begin to adapt to it and there was simply no time for it. Your memories were mostly returned and with it, a better sense of yourself as well as grounding yourself firmly.

It was strange to think that you were so detached from your own identity, and even if you would never return to that level of childlike brazenness, you would never allow yourself to be weakened by someone like _Lusamine_ again. There was nonetheless the issue of your designation and the Alpha who was currently acting as your escort around the islands of Alola. Even if you found yourself better assured of who you were, it did little to nothing to ease your sensitivity to Guzma’s presence.

In fact, if you were completely honest, it was likely even stronger now than ever as your stomach fluttered every single time his eyes met yours. You couldn’t really pinpoint the time that your view of what should’ve been a scary and overbearing Alpha change, but Guzma made you feel like you have a home. The rest of Team Skull had assisted, of course, however, his actions both large and small spoke of a worry for your wellbeing, that he would take care of you.

It was this particular thought that made your Omega practically purr with satisfaction and made you feel all types of funny the more your mind played with the idea. You noticed that Guzma had been shortening his strides to accommodate your slower gait and you turn to study his carefully blank expression. “Are we going to Melemele?” Your question seems to startle him from his thoughts as a hand buries itself into his white hair, face turning towards you and lips twisted into something in-between a grimace and grin.

“Yeah, it’s where ya said ya grew up before the End? What a coincidence…” The latter part of that sentence is muttered too lowly for you to make out, the lines around his eyes tightening as he recalls the last time he had personally come to the blasted island. He didn’t like thinking about the time he spent there and avoided coming to Melemele at all costs because of his memories and the people there. He hopes against all odds that they wouldn’t be seeing Hala, Hau, or the worst possible option, Kukui. Yet, he can’t really tell you no when you had requested to go there especially when you had quietly admitted that you remembered it as your childhood home.

He couldn’t help but to be curious of the memories that had returned to you, it seemed to fill you with an assuredness that had previously been unseen and making you glow with something mesmerizing. However, that only made it more difficult to do something about the influx of emotions he was feeling towards you.

Your voice broke into his thoughts, “You don’t seem to like that place much.” It wasn’t a question; you could tell that Guzma’s emotions were quite complicated regarding the island you now knew as your childhood home. While his emotions weren’t necessarily worn on his sleeve, anyone who knew him would be able to tell that his discomfort at the moment was quite obvious.

“That’s one way of sayin’ it.” A fierce scowl appears on his lips as a few more unpleasant recollections make their way to the surface, “Don’t exactly have happy memories of that shithole, I avoid it when I can.”

Your face twists into an expression of concern as you halt your steps, “Then I don’t want to go.” Even with your burning curiosity, you wouldn’t want Guzma to be so uncomfortable, it was a truly startling sight to see in comparison to the cocky and self-assured way he breezes through life.

“Huh?” He turns in surprise and sees you with your arms crossed over your chest in an effort to look more intimidating but paired with the soft look in your eyes it seemed almost…pouty. Guzma swears his heart had skipped a beat, you had absolutely no right to look so adorable. In an effort to cover up his growing panic he asks, a little too loudly, “Whaddya mean?”

“I mean, you just said you don’t go if you don’t have to and I don’t want to force you,” your head was tilted slightly and the way your voice quieted indicated how hesitant you were to speak. “We could always just go to another island, Plumeria can take me to Melemele in the future. Maybe?”

Even if you were trying your best to hide it, Guzma felt like your disappointment was hanging heavily in the air and making it severely difficult to breathe. While his innate want to secure your happiness was very much not in line with this current situation, his willingness to open up slightly was still surprising. Without even thinking too much about it, he steps a little closer to you, “You ain’t forcing me to do nothing. ‘Sides the person that made me hate the place isn’t even ‘round anymore. It’s just that a couple of League workers have their bases there, makes it more difficult to move around.”

“Are you sure?” He could feel your gaze searching his face for traces of falsehood, but he felt surprisingly good about the situation. The usual cycle of vicious anger mixed with trepidation that only exacerbated the earlier anger was quiet, almost as if it was at peace.

Your concern was heartening, he was glad to see that at least you kind of cared about him despite his rough-edges and warped personality. It brings a small smile to his face, “Yeah. Don’t worry about me, it’s your big day. You’ll finally able to see the sights and be outside in the sun, trust me, ya don’t wanna miss out because o’ me.”

He doesn’t know what he was expecting as a response, but the coy little smile paired with, an “I’d be willing to” was definitely not it. Guzma was sure that his face was reddened, but how could he possibly remain unflustered at a response like that. He felt as if he had to physically restrain his mind from thinking up scenarios where those same words fell from your trembling, kiss-swollen lips. Ugh, he really was a degenerate.

“Thanks, angel. Ya really know what to say to make a boy blush,” the sarcastic answer didn’t mask his embarrassment completely and you knew that Guzma simply teasing you back. But the pet name was surprisingly nice to hear, or perhaps more than just _nice_ judging from the way your hindbrain was purring as a result.

Despite the earlier awkwardness, this short conversation was enough to make both of you feel slightly more comfortable with each other’s company. It was a little strange to actually spend so much time with just the two of you, and the very first time done so outside of Po Town. You were almost too distracted by Guzma to truly appreciate the way the Alolan sun beamed onto the flourishing greenery, quiet chitter from beyond the road signalling some population of wild Pokémon.

Breathing in deeply, you relish in the way the warm air and sun bathed you in its glow and making your mood nearly impervious to its usual swings into melancholy. It was almost as if you were brought into a different time, where you had no designation and no trauma. Where you were simply a child who could enjoy such simple things. Even with your years of painful remembrances, they seemed easy to forget in the wake of your earlier memories’ awakening and the wonderful weather you were walking in. Not to mention the company.

. . .

You weren’t completely sure how you were expecting to go from Ula’Ula Island to Melemele, but the ride via Charizard definitely wasn’t it. The great orange beast that Guzma had summoned on the coast of the island came down in a flurry of dust and smoke as you tried your best to hide your trepidation. “It’s safe right?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t let ya fall,” there’s a smile hidden in the way he replied, a hand offered to you to help you mount the surprisingly mild-mannered Charizard. Her tail swished slightly in the air as she watched her two passengers for the day with interest, amused at the posturing the white-haired male was doing. But there was no harm in reminding him just who would be responsible for their safe travels.

A wave of hot air blew dangerously close to his bleached locks, causing Guzma to jump back in both fear and surprise as the sly Pokémon let out a chuff of amusement. The small interaction made you giggle, turning into actual laughter when you see the widened maw of the Charizard that threatened to take a chunk off his sweater. “I think someone is wanting more recognition for all the hard work she has to do today.”

The giant orange lizard nodded, and with a smug look tossed over her shoulder at the Team Skull leader she waddled over to where you were, seeking doting pats that you freely gave. Rubbing the warm body of the Charizard, you glance at the somewhat small saddle mounted near the base of her neck and wonder, “Will she be able to carry the both of us?”

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Guzma’s voice was surprisingly close and you look up to meet his amused gaze, gray eyes light with mirth. “The saddles are specially made to distribute weight and besides, she’s a strong girl. Ain’t ya?”

The proud little roar that came out of the aforementioned Pokémon was a definite agreement, preening at the compliment and jutting her chin out to be scratched. After a few long moments of coddling as well as a handful of Pokébeans, you two were ready to head off. What you didn’t expect was being pressed tightly against his chest as his arms reached around you to hold into the reins. You relished in the natural warmth he seemed to emanate, feeling inexplicably safe even so high into the air.

It was nice, the warm Alolan wind blew against your cheeks but did little to fight against the bright blush already there from the feeling of Guzma’s body so close to yours. Your stomach fluttered and you felt your heart race, wondering what it would be like to always be so close to him.

. . . 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry everyone! I was hoping I would be able to write more during April and May, but April was exam season for me...and then May rolled around along with work :(( 
> 
> But no worries, I should be able to start updating more consistently. I hope you enjoyed this chapter~!


	7. Closeted Affection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melemele seems to bring many unexpected things to the two of you.

. . .

Once you’ve landed onto the strangely familiar island and bid goodbye to the friendly Charizard, the two of you set off in the direction that you could recall as being your childhood home. A few short descriptions of the area near the run-down motel was enough for Guzma to go by, even if he himself knew that he wanted to stay the hell away from there.

You and Guzma walked in surprisingly companionable silence as you studied the somewhat familiar greenery with new eyes, memories being brought to mind when you see something or the other. You were quite lost in your thoughts and it wasn’t until the sight of another pedestrian that you return to the present. Fortunately, the older male passes by harmlessly, not bothering to do much other than a quick wave. 

“Will we see people from the League today?” There is a faint quiver that told of your unease which made it easier for him to sling an arm around your shoulder while sending you a self-assured grin. The action seemed natural in an effort to provide some sort of comfort to you.

“Maybe, but don’t ya worry your pretty lil’ head about it. I’ve got ya.” The closer proximity did make it more difficult for him to ignore your mango and magnolia scent, however, the way your body leaned slightly into his made it completely worth it.

“What are they like?” Your question was completely innocent as your expression displayed your curiosity. Guzma fought the urge frown as he rifled through what would be appropriate to share with regarding the opposing organization. Even if there had been no explicit declarations of conflict between the League and Team Skull, it was clear that they were more often than not at loggerheads. Not to mention some of the people responsible for its organization were those that Guzma would rather never speak to if he could. 

“They’re a group o’ goody-two-shoes, kinda responsible for everyone’s wellbein’ in Alola besides our Team and the people workin’ at Aether. They used to be a lot stronger, but after the Ultrabeast attacks over the years and all the resources used trying to undo all of this,” Guzma shrugs, “Their resources are being stretched thin, probably not long before things get ugly.”

“So then everyone on these islands would be part of the League?” Your lips pulled slightly into a frown, unused to the idea of this League being so powerful. It also wasn’t difficult for you to pick up the rivalry between the two groups during your stay at the Shady House. “That’s a little scary.”

The white-haired male shrugged lightly, “Well, everyone is under the League’s protection, not necessarily part of the League ya know? So long they’re doing a good job, everyone on the islands’ll follow what they have to say.”

“Oh,” the picture becomes slightly clearer, and the organization of this League seemed to be slightly different in operation to both Aether and Team Skull. You can’t help but to wonder what everyone was going to be like, whether they would be welcoming and friendly or cold like Aether.

. . .

Your eyes stared at the large male standing in front of you and Guzma, wide arms crossed over his chest as he scrutinized the pair of you with a deep frown on his round face. You lean into Guzma a little more who holds your hand a little tighter as if to reassure you, however, the expression on the Alpha’s face was quite severe.

“The fuck ya want?” The question had significantly less bite than you were expecting, more of a grumble than anything as the mysterious man guffawed at the sight. “The hell you laughin’ at?”

“At you, boy. I see why you were in such a rush to go home the other day,” the expression had cleared on his kind face, and there’s a gentle smile on his lips as he makes his way towards the both of you. “Usually you would’ve at least spent a night or two complaining about Kukui while you got healed up, but not last time. I’m guessing this little lady had something to do with it.”

You feel inexplicably at ease with this stranger, every inch of his being friendly and open as he offered a hand for you to shake, “Hello little miss, my name is Hala and on behalf of Melemele I welcome you.”

His hand is heavy and large, however, instead of intimidating you, it provided a faint sense of comfort and you can’t help but shy smile that appears on your face. At the sight, he seems slightly startled before slowly retracting his hand from yours as he looked towards Guzma, “I think you owe me an explanation.”

“Don’t owe you shit,” was the response, yet when Hala turns towards Iki Town Guzma reluctantly follows a few steps behind. You seem content to go with the flow, moreover, there was something that tickled at your memories the more you looked at him, growing more familiar with each step. The path was worn with use scuffing up your shoes as you meander slowly up the hill to where you could make out a couple of wooden houses.

There was a startling amount of noise coming from the small town, voices calling out to each other amidst the shrieking of children constantly intermingled with laughter. It washed over you like a warm wave of happiness that made you wonder when the last time you had heard such merriment. Despite the general contentment you had felt with Team Skull, the constant rain and the problems you had to work through for survival could be a real damper on the mood. But here there was no rain; just dust kicked up from a flurry of feet across the open town square.

Everyone present seemed to love Hala, crowding around him immediately as soon as he was visible and inadvertently wrapping you and Guzma into the welcome as well. There were joyous greetings before it gave away to curious gazes pinned on you while more hostile ones were being pointed in Guzma’s direction.

“Okay, back it up! You’re gonna suffocate our two guests,” his voice was loud as he bellowed, trying to move past the several people who hadn’t caught on yet. He shook his head in mock disappointment before nodding towards you, “They mean well, dear. Go introduce yourself.”

And suddenly you feel like your lungs have lost their ability to do…anything. Everyone’s eyes are traced onto you, all their attention at what you were about to say, and your mouth feels like it’s filled with sand. Suddenly, it’s too much, everything is absolutely too much and all you want is to feel hidden and safe, not exposed to everyone’s scrutiny like you were now.

Almost as if he could sense your oncoming panic, Guzma immediately pulls you behind him to shield you from the source of your discomfort as he emanated _back off or die_ vibes at the innocent villagers. As if only realizing now what position he had put you in, Hala immediately stands in front of Guzma to wave off the startled crowd. As soon as they had mostly dispersed you felt your heart rate return to normal only to realize how tense Guzma still was, the sharp line of his shoulders bunched together as if ready to fight.

Laying a gentle hand onto his back, you murmur softly, “Thank you.” At your voice you could feel those same tensed muscles relax beneath your touch as he turns to face you, gray eyes search your face for any traces of fear. His hand brushes your cheek gingerly, the touch warm and comforting making you want to lean into it, “I didn’t mean to get so spooked.”

A quiet sound emerges from Guzma’s chest when he sees the way you’ve curled into his touch and unthinkingly displayed your Omega Mark, glittering and tempting him in ways that he hadn’t ever considered.

“_Ahem!_” At the sound the two of your spring away from each other, wide eyes turning to face a very amused Hala who was just barely holding in laughter as he guides the two of you to his house. You hadn’t the chance to evaluate what had just occurred as a surprisingly bashful Guzma pulls you hurriedly away from the sight of basically all of Iki Town’s residents.

. . .

“Here dear, have a sip,” a steaming cup of Tapu Cocoa was placed on the table for both you and Guzma, the sweet scent of chocolate making you a little too eager when sipping the hot drink. Upon seeing the way you’d burnt your tongue, Hala chuckles lowly, “Just like when you were little.”

You freeze, the meaning of those words not escaping you as your hand grips the warm mug a little tighter. This man _knew;_ he must know what happened to your family and who you were, was this finally the answer you had been searching for so long?

Guzma’s expression revealed the same level of shock as he spluttered around his mug, “Ya better not be kiddin’, you know who she is? This entire time I’d been trying to figure it out on my own, you take one look and you’ve got the solution.”

A low chortle passes Hala’s lips as he seats himself heavily across from the two of you, eyes focused on your face with a trace of sadness in them, “You’re a dead ringer for your mother, especially your smile even after all this time. It’s been years…I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?” You don’t feel the same trepidation towards Hala, in fact on the contrary there was something comforting about the way he spoke. It didn’t seem like he had done something to wrong you; if your faint memories were correct, he had always been a kind soul to everyone.

Breathing out a deep breath, the older male covers his eyes with a tired hand before speaking, “No child, I owe you much more than a simple apology. I had no idea how you survived in those chaotic days after the end, but it had nothing to do with me and by the time we’d realized you were unaccounted for your home was completely empty. We lost so many in those days that another number had simply been easier than hoping but seeing you here now in front of me…” his voice trailed off, gaze still pointed to the floor shame perforating the way he sat hunched.

“Gladion found me,” your voice was stilted and hushed when you broke the silence, barely a whisper despite your indiscernible tone. “He found me here and brought me to Aether, I stayed there for a long time until he brought me to Guzma.” You didn’t know what you were feeling at the moment, everything a jumbled mess within your mind as you tried to make sense of the reality that there were people who had bothered to look for you.

“How fitting, you two always did get along so well.” And this was the second bomb of this relatively short conversation because suddenly the two of you were wearing identical expressions of shock as you stared at Hala. The influx of information was a little too shocking, but that’s when you confirmed that this trip to Melemele was absolutely worth it.

“…the fuck?” The statement passed Guzma lips in a thoroughly bewildered way as he blinked owlishly, utter confusion in the way he furrowed his eyebrows. “You better not be screwin’ with us, how the hell did we know each other?”

At this Hala let out a deep-bellied laugh that rumbled for several long moments while both of you sat there with minds still reeling from this revelation. He wipes a tear from the corner of his eye before looking at the two of you with a fond smile on his lips, “I’m shocked you don’t remember, you always did dote on her so much. But I suppose over a decade apart will make memories fade more than expected, I wouldn’t have recognized her if I hadn’t seen what her parents look like.”

“I knew Guzma?” The thought seemed to foreign to be something real, how could you have possibly known someone like him without remembering? It was impossible; you would never forget those gray…eyes. You clapped your hands over your mouth, heart rate nearly tripling as the revelation smacks you right in the face, a rude awakening if you would.

The scene that had been re-etched into your memory comes back in full force, dark hair and gray eyes and the same playful grin that you had seen seldomly now but had plagued you during your childhood. Although the youth in your memories had raven hair whilst Guzma sported snowy locks in a wildly different manner, everything else was all there. You wanted to laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of this situation, you had thought you had lost all semblance of home when you left Aether.

But in reality, you had been brought to the closest thing to home in Team Skull. It was ironic, hilarious, and most importantly as you cracked a grin at a still puzzled Guzma, strangely wonderful. It was fate, or something larger than sheer coincidence that brought the two of you together; it was truly something to marvel at while your ‘partner-in-crime’ still looked confused.

“You may not enjoy revisiting your memories of this place, but you’ve loved that berry farm since you were a kid,” Hala’s eyes were soft, a wistful smile on his lips as he continued, “You spent more time there than you ever spent at home, you and Kukui both loved playing your games there. I suppose that was the only thing that you would’ve missed when you left all those years ago, I’ve failed you too much…”

A stony silence pervades the room as your eyes move towards Guzma who you could feel radiating discomfort and no small amount of anger, his fists clenched and trembling slightly. Although he tried to focus on the fact that he had known you in his childhood, it was too easy to slip off that track of thoughts as all those awful memories brushed at the edge of his consciousness. It didn’t help that Hala was there to remind him of all the shit that had occurred in his childhood he thought viciously, jaw taut with restrained rage.

Even though you were still unclear of why exactly Guzma was reacting so poorly to this conversation, you still reached out automatically to comfort him. Although he was so much stronger physically, you had the sense that his anger was only covering layers of hurt he himself didn’t realize he had. You felt your heart squeeze in pain when his gray eyes met yours, lost in the emotions and about to capsize as his hand held tightly onto yours. You offered your quiet comfort as you watched the tumult waves had quieted, his voice slightly scratchy as he muttered, “You didn’t fail me, is failure even possible if I never expected anythin’ from ya?”

The words make Hala flinch as if he had been struck, a bitter laugh passing his lips as he nodded slowly, “I had hoped that these last few years would’ve been enough to wipe away my wrongs, but that was naïve. I doubt there’s anything I can do so you forgive me.”

You want to say something to stop this oppressive environment, Guzma unwilling to speak while Hala’s lips were firmly pressed into a frown. You looked down at the large hand encasing yours, its warmth reminding you that he wasn’t as detached to emotions as he wanted to seem. Leaning slightly closer to him, you press your cheek against his arm while looking upwards at his face. “Guzma?”

Your voice startles him out of his stupor, the light pressure of your head on his arm making him glance downwards at you. There was something in the trusting expression in your eyes that reminded him that the past pales in contrast to the promise of the future. Besides, fighting Aether would prove to be a much easier task with the support of Hala and Iki Town by his side. While Guzma had a fiery temper, he knew better now that sometimes there was more at stake than what would feel good at the moment. He’d lost enough as it is, there was no way he was going to lose you too.

“I’m willing to…move past our disagreements,” Guzma’s tone was still hesitant, clear reluctance in every inflection of his voice. But it’s enough to completely alter the morose expression on Hala’s face as he continues, “But ya owe me big time, and…we’re gonna need your help.”

With a strengthening breath and your Alpha’s comforting scent surrounding you, you begin telling him your story, from top to bottom and trying to include as many things as you could remember.

. . .

Hala had been eerily quiet during the duration of your speech, the only indication that he had been absorbed the deepening crease between his eyebrows and the grimace that grew ever more prominent. You were a little more preoccupied in trying to describe your veritably hellish life in Aether to read the older male’s expressions, but you could feel Guzma’s grip on your hand tighten the more you spoke.

There was something cruel in the way you seemed so detached and calm when talking about your experiences under Lusamine’s thumb. There was no doubt if you had been with anyone else that you wouldn’t have been as put together, it was difficult to remember those days filled with insecurity. However, Guzma was here and that was a calming enough sentiment that you were able to finish your story without any major hiccups.

“…And that was when Gladion brought me out of there and to Team Skull,” you spoke, voice slightly tired from speaking so continuously. Unconsciously you had slumped right into Guzma’s waiting arms, the promise of warmth and safety in the soft material of his hoodie and the strength of his chest.

A silence drew for a long moment before Hala’s voice rumbled out with quiet rage, “Absolutely unfathomable, disgusting. To think their workers are all in white when their souls must all be filthy beyond saving, their clothing is the most sterile thing about them.”

“This may be the first time I’m in complete agreement with ya,” the white-haired gang leader’s jaw was clenched as he drew you a little closer to his embrace. “Never wanted to torch a place or a person so bad.”

“Aether, huh? They will get what’s coming for them,” Hala muttered, chest tight with the thought of what an innocent child had to suffer through to get to him now. Although he had attempted to look for you in those chaotic days after the End, a thought now plagued him. What if he looked a little harder, or went at a different time, perhaps you wouldn’t have had to go through all of that. But for now, he would settle for righting the wrongs he has committed.

“I was hopin’ ya would think the same,” there was a glint of predatorial intent in Guzma’s gray eyes, gleaming with the promise of revenge. “They’ve been hidin’ their true nature for too long, we’ve had a deal with Aether since the day they moved in. Team Skull got most o’ their fundin’ from the prez, and a lot of our income still comes from ‘em.”

Hala sat a little straighter as he mulled this new information in his mind, “We had our suspicions to be frank, however, we could never be so sure. You lot sure you wanna let go of this cash cow?” He only response he received was a pointed glare and he has the good sense to let go of the ill-timed jibe. “They are quite well-off compared to the rest of us, going up against them won’t be easy.”

“How much do ya rely on ‘em for supplies?” Guzma’s expression was all business, there was absolute seriousness in the way he spoke. There were no games, “Team Skull isn’t exactly toast without ‘em, but we’re gonna be a little tight on resources for the next bit.”

“Most of our supplies are from our own, Panolia Ranch is doing a little better now,” Hala’s eyes were lowered, mind whirring as he considered the now inevitable falling out with Aether. “Akala is where our construction team works, not only that but there’s a good team these days making vital necessities. Aether does make things easier though, all the potions and ethers are much easier to come by from them.” 

There’s a longer silence this time, all three of you mulling over the possibility of the future and what that would look like. There had been some more ideal scenarios that passed through all three of your minds, however, the equally unfortunate ones also existed and reminded you of what prices would need to be paid. Nothing came free of charge, and none of you were so naïve to think so.

“You should go to the old farm,” Hala broke his silent musing as he turns a genial smile in your direction, “If there’re still important memories you can’t recall, that would be the place to look. It’s pretty broken down, but I’m sure you’ll be able to find things that you remember.”

Your eyes glow with your untold excitement, the thought of being able to go back to a place that was once lost to see remnants of your childhood and perhaps your family. It was difficult to imagine what would greet you, however that didn’t dampen your spirits in the slightest.

“Yeah, we were thinkin’ about goin’ over there today. That was the whole goal of this trip,” Guzma could sense your inner emotions, bubbling to the surface through your expression. “But it’s a little late, didn’t think that we would run into so much trouble when we came.”

Glancing at the way the sun was beginning to set, you swallowed back your disappointment at the reality that your rediscovery would have to wait. Going back to Po Town would take much too long for the two of you to stay any longer on Melemele, and the thought carried over to the way you frowned.

“You two aren’t thinking of leaving so late, are you? What kind of Kahuna would I be if I didn’t offer two children of Melemele into my abode,” Hala’s lips were pulled into a wide smile filled with warmth, “It’d be too much of a hassle for you to go back to Ula’ula only to come back here tomorrow, just stay here for the night. Lord knows I have space since Hau moved to Mount Lanakila.”

While there was some hesitance in your mind, the way that Guzma readily accepted the offer wiped away any source of discomfort. If he trusted Hala, there was no reason for you to feel leery around the older man. You didn’t feel anything particularly wrong about him, but your knee-jerk reaction to strangers was undeniably negative. But it was becoming slightly better the longer you spent in the company of Team Skull, it wasn’t so difficult to open up to people when you realized that they saw themselves as your equal. 

You took a shy peek at Guzma who was still sitting next to you and discussing the general circumstances of their tentative alliance. Your mind wandered back to that fateful moment where your worldview had begun to shift when an _Alpha_ had knelt down in front of you with frantic apologies spilling from his lips. The fact that you could recall what he had been like in childhood only further complicated the emotions that you felt for the Team Skull leader.

. . .

The rest of the evening passed by slowly and lethargically as all three of you shared small tidbits of memories, skating around the more delicate subjects. The recollections of the sweet berry pies your family had sold to the island, the times Guzma and Kukui used to help out at the farm, and the troubles the two of them would get into by eating more berries than they picked. It wasn’t quite so difficult to see the faint discomfort that emanated from the gray-haired Alpha the longer you spoke about your childhood; there was something needling him the entire conversation.

Although most of your memories regarding others were significantly fainter than the ones about yourself, there was a feeling that told you that Guzma’s childhood wasn’t as ideal as the one you led. It made your heart clench quite painfully in your chest when you considered the startling change he had undergone since your faint remembrances.

“I’m glad that you were able to get out of Aether, but do they know where you are?” Hala’s mind returned to a more serious topic, “It’s one thing if they don’t and it’s another if they're looking for you. I guarantee that waltzing about on Melemele won’t do you any favours.”

Guzma nodded slowly, the consideration already passing through his mind earlier, “Our guess is they still might be in the dark, our inside source hasn’t contacted us just yet. It’s a little hard to keep updated, but Po Town hasn’t really seen any more white-jacketed assholes wanderin’ about.”

“Well, that’s preferable to the alternative,” the older man mused, “I would be careful though, I’ve heard some strange rumours these days about Aether. Mind you, they’re just whispers but if Lusamine’s got her hands on an Ultrabeast, it could spell some major trouble.”

“Capture an Ultrabeast?” Your voice was soft, but it held a healthy dose of trepidation. Things would most certainly escalate if that was true, while you didn’t know too much about those creatures, it was enough that Lusamine was obsessed with them.

Guzma shook his head incredulously, “There ain’t no way, those things are impossible to capture even with Ultraballs if you can even beat ‘em down enough to get the chance. I doubt that Lusamine would keep that shit quiet instead of broadcastin’ it to all of Alola.”

Hala chortled loudly at that, “You think everyone’s as much as a loudmouth like you? Aether likes to keep its cards close at hand; we still don’t know how they’re able to produce half the things they trade to us.”

“Aether never speaks more than it has to,” your voice was quiet but held a seriousness that had yet to be seen, “They wait and hide and until the most opportune moment, that is Lusamine’s nature and I can guarantee that she will never show you the full picture. I should know.”

“Oh lil’ one,” Hala’s voice was unbelievably gentle, tone apologetic as he continues with agreeance, “You would know better than the rest of us; we should probably be ready for the possibility of Aether having an Ultrabeast in their ranks.”

A hush fell over the three of you as that reality set in, a heavy sense of foreboding swam in everyone’s chest. You don’t seem to notice the way you and Guzma seemed to curl in on each other as a source of comfort, your head falling easily onto his shoulder as his arm curled around your body. And even though yes, you knew that you were fearful of what was to come it was different than the fear that you had grown used to in Aether.

Now you knew that you weren’t alone anymore, and although you had so much more to lose, you felt as if you had something to actually fight for. You were more than just a guinea pig for the Aether scientists, and you were more than just an Omega.

. . .

It was getting a little late and the events of the day had tired all three of you, so after a simple meal pulled together by Hala’s surprisingly resourceful hands, you were all getting ready to hunker down. Luckily you had both packed extra clothing in preparation for being unable to make it back on the same day, or if an unsuspecting storm had blown in.

You were just popping out of the room that you had been given to grab some water when you bumped into Guzma, clad in significantly less clothing that you were used to. A black tank clung snugly onto his torso while a pair of basketball shorts were slung casually around his hips, he seemed a little startled by your appearance.

“Gettin’ ready to sleep?” His voice seemed a little strained and your eyes expressed the slight confusion at his question. Although, there was no doubt that your gaze quickly went to the well-toned arms that were usually hidden from view, the clear lines of hard strength reminding you of the things that he was capable of. Although it seemed strange to recall at the moment, Guzma had quite easily ripped a door off its hinges from some of the smaller houses in Po Town. The wood was later put into good use for repairs around the Shady House, but you always wondered how he was able to do it so effortlessly.

The answer was in front of you now. The weather in Po Town meant that it was quite chilly during the night and day; everyone would be clad in sweaters especially if they weren’t planning on heading out into the rest of Alola that day. And so, was it all that strange that you’ve only really ever seen Guzma swaddled quite firmly in that massive sweater and equally baggy sweats?

While you were very obviously ogling him, Guzma couldn’t even keep his wits about him to try to tease you about it. There was a certain innocence to the way you admired him as if just affirming his visual aesthetics and finding him not as much as a slob he had appeared before. His crisis was most definitely not as _pure_.

Just as he had prepared clothes more suitable to the temperature to the rest of Alola, you too were wearing clothing matching the humid heat. Honestly, there wasn’t anything too different from your usual dress except for the fact your shirt was clearly too big for your frame; he cursed Plumeria under his breath.

He was sure that she was behind this.

The neckline of the shirt drooped and revealed not only your Omega symbol, glittering and silver and much too inviting, but the gentle line of your shoulder as well. So open, so delicate compared to him and he wanted nothing more than to sink his teeth into the mutely shining flesh. The thought stops him short, _what the fuck was that_?

However, before you could even answer his question or Guzma could question what he was thinking, there were two heavy knocks on the door. It was difficult to determine what exactly made him think that you were in danger, but when Hala turned to face them he read the expression of warning in less than a second.

Without even thinking about it, he slides an arm around your waist and pulls you into the nearest door, your room he realized belatedly. His eyes scan the space for somewhere further you two to hide, wanting to ensure your breathing wouldn’t be sensed by whatever unfriendly company was about to grace Hala’s abode. And that was how the two of you ended up crammed into a storage closet together, his arm still around your waist while yours were braced onto his chest.

Your warm breath ticked his skin as you quietly asked, “What’s wrong?” Despite what was a bad situation, you felt surprisingly unshaken but perhaps that was because your Alpha was so clearly protecting you. It was strange, you didn’t necessarily expect him to put himself in danger for you, however, the fact that he saw you as worthy of his concern made you feel safe.

“Must be those Aether assholes, no one else would disturb Hala without giving him a heads up first,” Guzma’s entire body was tensed, wanting nothing more to know why exactly Aether had come knocking on the door. It was the worst scenario; you were essentially trapped here, and he had no doubts that you would be found if they decided to search the place.

He could feel you freeze at his conjecture, your breaths become shallower as the possibility of Aether appearing in this way, your worst nightmare creeping ever closer. There was no way you were going back to that place, _never_ again to the person that had robbed you of so much. Your distress was clear and his arm around you pulled you a little closer so that he was hugging you more-or-less, your arms hung limply at your sides as your cheek pressed against his warm chest.

Your voice was small, “Does it make me silly to be so scared?” You could feel your heart pounding away, panic choking you and preventing you from taking adequately deep breaths. “I never want to go back to that place.”

You could feel his hand gently smooth down your hair and the length of your back before returning to your neck, warm fingers trying to undo the tenseness in the muscles. He could sense when you were able to finally relax a little, your body going slightly limp and melting into his touch. His voice was a low growl as he promised, “And you will never have to, not if I have anythin’ to say about it, Angel.”

Somehow your eyes find his effortlessly in the dark, the faint light from beneath the door enough to see the cool gray tones that glowed with promise. His words brought you comfort, a feeling of warmth that pooled in your chest that made your pulse quicken for an entirely different reason. His hand moves to your cheek, rough thumb gently brushing the delicate skin beneath your eye, as you whisper, “Thank you.”

Guzma would look back to this exact situation with poignant confusion because he would never be sure what exactly drove him to action. Perhaps it was your soft eyes, brimming with the earlier unshed tears; perhaps it was the way your scent permeated every single particle of this room; perhaps it was because you were finally in his arms, the way he had envisioned so many times before.

Or maybe his self-control finally snapped.

Whatever it was flew to the back of his mind when dipped his head down and caught your lips in a certifiably hungry kiss. Besides a small noise in surprise, you seemed to welcome the intimate action, soft mouth moving hesitantly against his evidently more skilled one. Guzma’s thought process seemed to have completely broken down and was solely focused on the feel of your lips against his, the delicate taste only serving to make his hunger grow.

Swiping a hot tongue against your lower lip before sucking it gently, the gray-eyed Alpha could feel himself getting way to riled up. The quiet sound you made when your lips slacken enough to allow his tongue entry is answered by a low groan as he savours your exquisite and unique flavour. His arm was now wound tightly around your waist, holding you flush against him as your body’s curves moulded to his own. Guzma was getting drunk off of you, everything about you seemed to move him in mysterious ways, and he was so selfish that he would never think twice about sharing.

Besides your initial shock, you found yourself mildly surprised at your lack of reaction other than acceptance and happiness. It could be that somewhere in your mind you had prepared and hoped desperately for this situation, however, at the moment you were otherwise preoccupied. Although the kiss was rough, his lips slightly chapped and tongue insistent against your own, there was nothing about it you disliked. In fact, the moment his taste flooded your mouth you were hooked.

Feeling his control slip by the second, Guzma reluctantly pulls away from you, bringing the kiss to an enchanting finish as you realized your knees had long buckled and you were almost completely supported by the muscled arm around your waist. Your expression was somewhat hazy, and the slight smile he could see on your reddened lips was the only thing stopping what should have been an apology. Or rather, he still owed you one anyway.

“Angel, you okay?” His voice was lower than he expected, a wave of worry beating back whatever lust he had been feeling when you remained silent. The panic started to rise when he began second-guessing everything he had _thought_ happened, was it his own desires that blinded him to your response? “I’m sorry, I should’ve asked. I—don’t know what came over me, but that’s no excuse—”

You cut off his ramblings with a soft press of your lips against the golden insignia at the base of his neck before whispering, “I’m better than okay.” You know your face must be the picture of utter embarrassment, and so bury it in his chest as his arms wrap around you.

Before he could tell you just how elated you made him, the dim closet is flooded with enough light to make the two of you momentarily blind. You jump apart reflexively and blink in the added light to make out your host’s robust frame standing in the doorway of the closet. Hala’s clearly tried to smother down his amused chuckles, but it’s still clear as day when he speaks, “Alright lovebirds, I would’ve loved to give you some more time to yourselves.” At here he suggestively raises his eyebrows, but is immediately replaced with a cold deadpan, “But there’ll be no funny business while you’re living here.”

You both started protesting, however, Hala doesn’t allow you the chance before dropping the bomb, “Plumeria just called, Gladion arrived a few moments ago at Po Town and he’s got some bad news.”

Ice crawls in your veins as the reality sets in, your eyes find Guzma’s and you feel grounded by the lack of tumult in them. While you are quite wary of the bad news, your Alpha’s presence at your side helps remind you that you can take a stand against Aether. You would never be abandoned and helpless, not if Team Skull had anything to do with it.

Almost as if he was waiting for you to speak, he reaches for your hand when your voice begins to fall, “We should get Gladion on the line, any updates are too important to miss.” There wasn’t a single tremor and you didn’t feel any inclination to back down; with the way Guzma’s hand held firmly to yours, you knew he felt the same.

You were no longer alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a bad author and I ask for all my lovely readers' patience. I can't promise regular updates due to my schedule, but I will try to get this story wrapped up within the next few months. 
> 
> However, I currently have a dilemma. For much of the story the rating has been completely unwarranted and the time has come closer to the realization of the rating. But I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing, and writing good snu-snu is hard. I had planned on writing a smut scene but now I wanna backpedal because I feel so embarrassed OTL. 
> 
> Idk I'll probably delete this note when I force myself to write it lol.


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